


We Get the Job Done

by esompthin



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aliens, Depression, Dissociation, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gilbert is an alien, I just realized that my aliens are just shiny dittos from pokemon, Isolation, M/M, Mental Breakdown, No one call out my crappy math or is2g, Spaceships, They in space, Touch-Starved, inspired by a tumblr post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-11-20 22:52:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 50,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11344755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esompthin/pseuds/esompthin
Summary: Alexander Hamilton was chosen to be the exchange crewmember for an alien Immigrant Program. This means he will be facing an alien space ship of 200 members of a strange species completely alone. The fate of humanity rests on his shoulders as he is tasked to learn and befriend these new creatures. The only question is, can he do it alone?





	1. Chapter 1

"I cannot believe you were chosen," First Officer John Laurens said, not for the first time that evening.

He was an excitable young man, with bouncy, curly hair that would sometimes defy the manufactured gravity of the ship. Laurens was giddy with excitement for his close friend, Alexander Hamilton, whom had just received word earlier that day of his new position on the USOE Enterprise.

Previously, Alexander was a greasy worker down in the mechanics area. It wasn't the job he wanted, but it was the one he could talk his way into. The Captain took crew selection very seriously, and a pennyless man like Hamilton wasn't supposed to even be on the USOE Enterprise. It was only through his passion and work ethic that he was granted a job in the engine deck.

But things were different now.

As much could be seen simply by the new outfit that was fitted for him; a long, sharp blue coat that was laced with gold. It expressed the importance and wealth of the higher commanding officers. John wolf-whistled when Alexander first strode out of his quarters wearing it; causing Alexander to grin and laugh.

"I can." Spaceman Apprentice Hercules Mulligan muttered, desperately trying to keep Alexander from ruining his brand new outfit. "Of course they'd pick Alexander for this position. Is it even a choice?"

John hummed, still smiling, "You're probably right. I mean, who else would have the balls to storm into the Captain's quarters and _demand_ to be put on the inspection list to be a part of the Immigrant Program?"

"It only made sense you were the one to be picked." Hercules grinned, clapping Alexander on the shoulder. Alex couldn't stop smiling; as soon as he heard about the Immigrant Program, he knew he had to be a part of it. There was no doubt about it, this was what he was destined to do. This was why he was alive, here and now, in the year 2776. This was why he was currently in a huge spaceship; exploring the galaxy between Earth and the closest inhabited planet: Fualten.

It was only a year prior when the Fualtics made contact with Earth and its colonies. The message was a staticy clip of a faceless creature speaking in a rough translation. Everywhere across the world the words were spoken in the most common human languages. The message was repeated over and over, scaring some and enticing others.

" _We wish to speak. We wish to speak. We wish to speak."_

It did not take long for the humans to panic. For, this was the first communication Earth would experience between other intelligent life. Surely, a little fear was to be expected. It was only through the grace of well-spoken leaders, did the world hold its breath as a select crew was plucked from around the world. These men, women, and people, were sent into space with one order.

" _Speak kindly, and speak well. We do not want any harm to come from this encounter."_

Originally, the Captain of the USOE Enterprise was going to be the one to speak directly with the Fualten. But the Fualtic leader had another suggestion. One that would benefit both parties equally; an explicit expression of trust.

"We wish to trade." Came a staticy voice through the communications radio. It took a few tries to be able to hear the creature correctly. When it came through well enough, the Captain spoke clearly and slowly.

"Trade what, exactly?"

"Trade crew. We wish to trade a crewmember."

"Under what purpose?"

"To learn."

And thus the Immigrant Program was put into place. Once the Captain got acceptance from the worlds leaders back on Earth, he started to go through the process of figuring out which crewmember on the ship would be an acceptable applicant. Who would be strong enough and brave enough to go to an unknown ship, for an undetermined amount of time? Who would be respectful enough to learn about another lifeform's culture? Who would be well-spoken enough to not start an accidental intergalactic war?

The Captain's hand hovered over the application form for Second Officer Aaron Burr. The man was smart, but level-headed; quiet, but not shy; polite, but not a pushover. He appeared to be the perfect applicant to go to the alien ship and learn everything he could about their galactic neighbors.

But as the Captain was about to sign off on the decision; a loud scuffle could be heard outside his quarters. He stood just in time for a man with oil and dirt smeared across his raggy clothes to run into the room. The Captain's guards chased after him; knocking him to his knees in an instant.

The man was spitting with fury; speaking in rapid French as he glared at the guards.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Captain said, cutting the man's tirade off.

His head whipped around, his eyes widening in awe. He cleared his throat, his voice slightly hoarse as he says, "Sir-"

"He was trying to push past us, sir." One of the guards said.

"We don't think he's necessarily dangerous." The other adds.

"What's your name, son?" The Captain asked. Raising an eyebrow at the dirty man on his knees.

The man swallowed hard and said, "Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton."

The name meant nothing to him. "And what are you doing in my private quarters, Hamilton?"

"I…" Alex forcibly shrugged off the guards' hands. He fumbled with something in his pocket before he pulled out many folded pieces of paper; stapled together. "I wanted to bring you my application, sir."

The Captain stepped forward, taking the papers from him. He skimmed the first page, seeing Hamilton's health records and current status. "You wish to be a part of the Immigrant Program?"

"Yes, sir." Alexander said, "However many you wish to send, I want to be one of them."

"I'm only sending one." The Captain said, waving the guards away. They seemed hesitant, but eventually left the room for the two to talk in private.

"Only one?" Alexander rubbed his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the ship captain. "Why?"

The Captain shrugged, "It was what the Fualtics requested. One human, one Fualtic. An exchange program, of sorts. Simply to learn about the other and help in any way possible."

"And you see nothing hostile about this request?" Alexander sounded unsure. He was quick to add politely, "Sir."

The Captain pursed his lips, "I'm providing them with the benefit of the doubt. One human on their ship would be horribly outnumbered, should things go awry. But Fualtic on ours would be equally so. If they are willing to put the trust of the life of one of their own in our hands, I can only be expected to do the same."

"Take me!" Hamilton said immediately, "If things go wrong, you have nothing to worry about. My life lost is no large feat. A higher up officer is far more important to keep out of harm's way than a lowly engineer such as myself."

It would probably be the only time in Alexander's life that he would talk down about himself. But he truly wished to be on the alien ship. And if that meant sounding expendable, then he would do it.  
"No human life is lowly, son." The Captain said without batting an eye, and Alexander felt that the older man truly believed such a thing. It was quite humbling.

"Very well." Alexander said, squaring his shoulders. "Then take me because of who I am."

"An engineer?"

"A writer." Alexander corrected quickly. "I will be more than capable to keep explicit records of my findings on the other ship. I'm sharp as a tack and more than willing to learn about another species and it's culture!"

The Captain watched him for a long moment, silent. Alexander felt a shiver run through his spine as he was clearly being assessed. He cursed himself for not cleaning up before he raced into the Captain's quarters, but he had to get there before the man made his decision. There was no time to clean the streak of oil off his cheekbone or bandage the small scrape on his forearm. These were the things that would have the position be stolen from him; his disarray.

"You know French." The Captain said, glancing down at the pile of papers on his desk.

"Yes, sir." Alexander said.  
The Captain's gaze slid like glass over to watch Alexander's expression as he said, "It is easier for those who are already bilingual to learn another language."

"It is." Alexander kept his expression carefully blank.

The Captain ran a hand over his bald scalp. "The Fualtens don't speak English, or any human language for that matter. They have translators, technology far better than our own, that help them to communicate with us. But their words are choppy; misspoken and difficult to decipher."

"Like a whole different language." Alexander supplied, he felt a warm shiver run through his toes as the Captain smiled at him.

"Precisely." The Captain cleared his expression again, a calm mask of authority. "I want to send the best representative I can. They won't just be representing the Enterprise, they'll be representing Earth, the Moon, and Mars. I want to put Humanity's best foot forward."

"If you choose me, sir, I can guarantee I won't trip." Hamilton spoke so seriously that it changed the temperature of the air. The Captain couldn't ignore the pure fiery passion in the younger man's gaze. He nodded once, and told Alexander to keep an eye out for any news about the Immigrant Program. If he was chosen, he will be notified shortly before the rest of the crew.

* * *

 

"When do you head off?" John asked, flopping down on Alexander's small cot.

"Tomorrow at eight hundred." Alexander said, "There will be a small ship on the loading dock, just three Fualtics on board; the Immigrant and two crew members. The crew will drop off the Immigrant and I'll take their place."

Hercules shook his head, "You're going to be on a fucking _alien ship_ , man. Are you scared?"

Alex sheepishly nodded, "A little. I'm worried they might turn out to be hostile; and this could be some elaborate trap."

"Well, if it is, we're fucked anyway. At least you might survive." John shrugged, "They'll hold you hostage; put you in a zoo."

Hercules grinned, "Aw, little baby Fualtics will take pictures of you! You'll be famous!"

"They'll throw Fualtic peanuts at you, try and get you to roar." John snickered, imagining the sight.

Alexander scoffed, "You two are full of crap. If anything, they'd do weird experiments on me."

"You'd be probed!" John said, cackling as Hercules muttered, "He'd probably enjoy it."

Hamilton felt his face flush slightly in embarrassment, "God. I will _not_ miss you two."

John gasped dramatically, "You _love_ us!"

Hercules laughed as Alexander threw a pillow at him.

The mood the next morning was far more somber. John and Hercules had stayed in his small room for the night; three grown men sharing one cot. They dressed in silence, the other two men helping Alexander into his fancy new clothes. He was an ambassador now. He needed to look perfect.

As they fixed his suit and hair, their fingers lingered longer than stickly necessary. There was a quiet apprehension that hung in the air as they gave him one last look. It was always scary doing something new. But this could change the fate of the human race. If it was for the better or for the worse was entire up to Alexander Hamilton now. That was quite a lot of weight to put on an engineer. But he asked for this. He could handle it.

John and Hercules were allowed into the loading dock to see him off. The Captain was standing there along with a man with large, curly hair and a perfectly plucked beard. This man clearly came from wealth and his rank was an expression of that. Hamilton knew this man. He was one Chief of the Deck and Maintenance Department Thomas Jefferson. The two had ran into each other once or twice. They were not acquaintances. Alexander watched him for a few moments as he spoke with the Captain in quiet tones.

Behind a glass door, a ship was pulling into the dock. It was sleek and smooth; some white metal that hid what was waiting inside. The humans held their breaths as the pressure was leveled in the shipping bay and oxygen was added into the air, making it safe for the glass door to open.

Once they were given the all-clear, they stepped forward into the ship bay. Nothing stirred for the white aircraft. They waited in silence until a door slowly swung open, a puff of steam escaping from inside the ship.

John reached out and squeezed Alex's hand. This is it.

A creature very carefully stepped out into the open area. It was a faceless white figure with no real definable or distinct attributes to it. There was nothing on Earth that looked like it. And perhaps that was the point. It looked … alien.

The Captain cleared his throat and then spoke clearly, "Good morning. I'm Captain George Washington of the United Stations of Earth Enterprise. I would like to-"

The creature held up one lumpy part. It might have been a hand, if it had any fingers or ligaments. Silenced in hesitant curiosity, the Captain waited until the creature slowly made its way forward.

It stood before each member of the human race there; clearly observing them. It stopped in front of Thomas Jefferson, which was clearly making the man sweat. The longer the creature stood there, the more worried everyone became.

"Um…" Jefferson said eloquently.

Then, the strangest thing happened.

The whiteness of the creature started to melt off of it; falling to the floor in gooey _plop_ s. Thomas' expression turned to one of barely held-back disgust. The creature didn't move as what appeared to be parts of it's flesh dissipated away.

Jefferson screams out in shock as a dark hand suddenly shoots out from behind the white pile of mush. He scrambles for his gun, but Hamilton quickly stops him with a hand to his wrist. His eyes are locked on the melting Fualten before him. Because the arm keeps going, an expanse of brown skin disappearing under the white flesh. Then another hand comes out from the other side. This one grasping in the air uselessly.

The humans watch; amazed, horrified, and scared as the whiteness of the Fualten evaporates, leaving a mass of brown skin and fluffy curls. In the Fualten's place stands a distinctly human-like body.

Jefferson bites down on his knuckle, maybe to keep from screaming or gagging, as the Fualten straightens up. It lets go of Jefferson's shirt, but immediately it's knees wobble.

"Jesus Christ." John whispers, from in Hercules' grasp. The bigger man was practically engulfing him with his arms; protecting him in case things went south.

But Alexanders' gaze was locked on the creature before him. "You can shapeshift?!"

The Fualten shifted its new head sluggishly, like it wasn't entirely sure how strong it's neck was yet. Brown eyes locked with his, and it watched him for a second. Alexander waited, a wide grin on his face.

The Fualten nodded once, squinting as it spoke slowly. There was a crackle, a hiss coming from it's plush lips. There was a click, and then a somewhat robotic voice replying, "Yes."

"That is so cool!" Alexander said, eyes sparkling with wonder.

It was in that moment that the Captain knew he made the right choice.

The Fualten nodded once and then shifted its gaze over to Thomas, who looked pale. The hissing came back and a few seconds later, the voice coming from nowhere and everywhere said, "Do you mind if I … borrow your face?"

"No," Jefferson sounds distant, like he wasn't sure what was exactly happening anymore. "I wasn't using it or anything."

Alex smirks at him, not bothering to hide his amusement. The Captain speaks up then, placing a hand on Thomas' shoulder comfortingly, "What is your name? What should we call you?"

The Fualten stares at him. It's strange seeing such a blank expression on Jefferson's borrowed face, and Alexander doesn't think he's ever seen such a slack gaze in those eyes. There's a small delay, maybe because the Fualten technology is translating the question, maybe not.

"My name is …." the Fualten pauses, gaze sliding to the side, almost drunkenly, "unintelligible."

"Oh," the Captain nods gracefully, "of course. Some things such as names cannot be translated. Would you like us to give you an Earth name?"

The Fualten nodded once, and the humans relaxed, coming up with different human names for the creature.

"James."

"Marcello."

"Lin."

"Thomas Junior."  
"Absolutely not."

The Captain thought for a moment and then said, "How about Gilbert?"

The humans nodded in agreement and then looked over to the Fualten. It watched them quietly, waiting.

Alexander and the Captain shared a look. The Captain said, only somewhat awkwardly, "Uh, do you like that name?"

"It is a name." The Fualten nodded again. There wasn't any pleasure nor any distaste in its expression. It simply stated the fact. Yes, Gilbert is a name. A human name at that.

The Captain smiled tightly, "If it suits you, then it can be your name."

The Fualten once again nodded. It appeared to be the only thing it knew to do with its new body. The fundamental aspects of nonverbal communication were far too advanced for it yet. So for now, simple nods were the only thing it could do.

"I am Gilbert the Fualten." It said, turning to look over at the white ship that still waited behind it. "The crew is ready to leave."

"What- now?!" Hercules said, still a bit shaken.

Gilbert nodded once more, repeating, "What, now."

"Alexander, be careful on that ship, okay?" John whispered harshly.

Alex turned and grinned at his friends, "Guys, I'll be alright. This is nothing. I'd like probing, remember?"

Hercules pulled him into a tight hug, whispering into his neck, "If you don't come back, I'll kill you."

Alex laughed, because if he didn't, he'd cry. Hercules stepped away and ruffled his hair. John quickly attached himself to Alex's side, hiding his face in his neck.

"I believe in you, Alexander Hamilton." John said, his voice only wavering slightly. "Learn the fuck outta these guys."

"I will." Alex chuckled, rubbing John's back gently.

"Son," the Captain said, somehow both stern and soft. "It's time."

Alexander nodded and removed himself from Lauren's grasp. He shook the Captain's hand and nodded to Jefferson, aware of Gilbert's gaze on him the entire time.

It was with his head held high and his heart about to burst out of his chest that Alexander Hamilton stepped onto the alien ship for the first time. He turned and watched his friends disappear as the white door slid shut, blocking all sense of familiarity from view.

"WE'LL KEEP IN TOUCH!" John shouted just as the door clicked shut.

Alexander smiled to himself, knowing that his friend would keep the promise. He took a deep breath and then turned around, ready to face the new world before him.


	2. Chapter 2

As the small group made their way into the common area, tensions were a bit high. John was still clinging to Herc’s arm. He just watched his best friend be taken away on a foreign spaceship for an unknown amount of time. He was a little distraught. Thomas kept close to the Captain, shooting glances over at the perfect mirror of himself.

Large, metal doors slid open to reveal the cafeteria, where most of the crew waited in chattering excitement.

“Captain on deck!” A man hollered over the noise. Mouths clamped shut, shoulders straightened, and heads whipped around to get a look at their new alien companion.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and variations thereupon,” Washington said, all eyes watching the commanding officer. “This is the exchange Fualtic. We have given him the name of Gilbert. If he has any questions at all, you are to answer them to the best of your ability. The purpose is to teach and learn.”

The people stared at Gilbert.

One crewmember, near the front said, “Um, sir. Isn’t that Chief Thomas Jefferson?”

“I am Gilbert the Fualten.” Gilbert spoke carefully, his gaze sweeping across the crowd; analyzing their responses.

Thomas stepped forward then, hiding his distaste, “Fualtens have the unique ability to shapeshift. This one has chosen my figure to mimic.”

The fact that he didn’t openly praise his own looks as he said this was more of an indicator of his discomfort than any facial expression could show.

“My figure to mimic.” Gilbert repeated, now looking at Jefferson.

A small shiver ran down Jefferson’s spine as he stared into those dark eyes. Was that what he looked like? So distant and calculating?

The Captain spoke up as the crew started to mutter to each other. “In other news; Alexander Hamilton has been shipped off to the Fualten airship. We will receive word from them once he has arrived. Until further notice, that is all.”

Some of the crew disappeared then; not wanting to be near the alien creature, despite how human it looked. Some stepped forward, wanting to get a closer look at the exact copy of Jefferson. Some, still, hesitated on the edge of the room; unsure of which direction they wanted to run.

One of the people that approached was Eliza Schuyler and her sisters. But the middle child didn’t approach the alien, instead, she went to John and Hercules.  
“Oh, gosh, he’s really gone?” She whispered shakily, taking John’s hands in hers.

“Eliza…” John mumbled, pulling her into a hug. “He’s going to be fine. It’s Alex we’re talking about. Besides, this is a peaceful mission, right Herc? He’s fine, right?”

Hercules pulled them both against his chest, whispering reassurances. Thomas watched on, something sad and sour twisting in his chest.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Angelica prodded him sharply, “So this is the alien? He’s so ugly.”

“Oh, ha-ha,” Thomas rolled his eyes, rubbing where Angelica poked him. “Gilbert is that one.”

“I know.” Angelica smirked, laughing at Jefferson’s offended expression.

Peggy approached the alien first. She bowed slightly, smiling up at the familiar face, “Hello. My name is Peggy Schuyler.”

Gilbert hesitated a moment, and then bowed as well. The crackly sound of his voice said, “Hello, my name is Peggy Schuyler. I am Gilbert the Fualten.”

Peggy giggled, “It’s just Peggy.”

“Hello, it’s just Peggy?” Gilbert asked, confusion slowly crossing his face as he learned how eyebrows worked.

“No, like, Peggy. That’s all you have to say.” Peggy was still smiling, amused by the miscommunication.

Gilbert nodded once, “Understood.”

James appeared then, leaning against Thomas to whisper, “He’s certainly interesting.”

Gilbert turned to look at him, confusion returning to his expression, “Who… is he?”

“You are.” Angelica said.

“I am Gilbert.”

“Yeah, but you’re also ‘he’.” Angelica was grinning as she said this.

Gilbert scowled, “Untrue.”

Eliza stepped forward then, comforted enough to distract herself, “Um, ‘he’ isn’t a name. It’s a pronoun. Like a title. It’s used in place of your name.”

“Question: why?” Gilbert asked, turning to Eliza now. He appeared to like watching whoever he spoke to, as they were speaking.

“Well,” Peggy supplied, gaining his gaze, “You wouldn’t want to say your name every time you spoke. It would be tedious.”

Gilbert frowned again, “...Tedious?”

A chorus of replies came to him.

“Difficult.”

“Unnecessary.”  
“Annoying.”

“Hard.”

“Pointless.”

The alien nodded, “Understood.” He then pointed to himself and said, “He.”

Peggy nodded, “Yes, but not when you’re talking about yourself. Then it’s ‘I’ and ‘me’.”

“Understood.” Gilbert then pointed to Peggy and said, “He.”

“No.” Angelica laughed, “Peggy would be ‘she’, because she’s a female.”

Gilbert scowled, but didn’t seem upset, exactly, “Female?”

Herc spoke up then, “Humans come in at least two biological sexes. These are male and female.”

“Confusion.” Gilbert said, turning to Herc, “Purpose?”

“It’s how humans reproduce.” Herc blushed slightly, earning a grin from John. “Um, the females give birth to our young. The males… help.”

Gilbert pointed to Hercules, “Female?”

“No.” Hercules’ blush grew deeper, “I”m a guy.”

“He?”

“Yes.”

Gilbert went around the small group, pointing to each one of them. “He?”

“She.”

“He?”

“Yes, he.”

“She?”

“He.”

“Yes, he?”

“It’s- just he. But I’m a she.”

Gilbert stopped at Thomas, clearly confused, “...she?”

“You’re in my body! We’d have the same pronouns!” Thomas’ groaned, “What makes you think I’d be a girl?”

Angelica spoke up, not unkindly, “I bet it’s your hair.”

Gilbert shook his head and then looked to Thomas, “Reproduction.”

There was a slight moment of silence, and then everyone burst into various levels of laughter. Everyone except the two Jeffersons. Gilbert watched everyone’s reactions, wondering what he said wrong. Thomas was hiding his bright red face in his hands.

Angelica could barely breathe between her laughs, “OH - my god! He knows you’re gay! He thinks you’re a girl because-”

“Yes, I understood that much.” Thomas snapped, turning to Gilbert, “How do you know about that?”

Gilbert just tipped his head to the side, his eyelids lowering slightly, “My figure to mimic.”

Thomas stepped away, still scowling and blushing, “Yeah, well, stay out of my mind. I don’t need you sneaking around my memories.”

“Understood.” Gilbert said, still appearing smug. He clapped his hands behind his back, jutting his chin up.

Thomas scoffed and stalked away, James following behind him.

Hiding his remaining giggles behind his hand, John spoke up then, “Okay, so males and females do not exclusively have to pair up. Like, two males can, uh, fornicate. As can two females. That doesn’t change their sex or anything. And they usually won’t get pregnant - um, reproduce.”

“But, guys,” Peggy, who was bright red said, barely above a whisper, “If Gilbert mistook him for a girl, because he did the do with a guy; that means that in some point, Thomas was a total bottom.”

This only sprouted out another round of giggles.

“Oh, god,” Herc wheezed, “I wonder who it was!”

“I don’t!” Eliza pulled a face, “I do not need to know who was doing the dirty with my Chief Commander.”

Gilbert spoke up after a moment, appearing to be deep in thought, “Question.”

“Answer,” Peggy grinned.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and _variations thereupon_?” Gilbert asked, repeating what the Captain had said. “She. He. What other?”

John cleared his throat, “Well, that’s not sex. That’s gender. It’s a little different.”

“Sex, there’s two main ones.” Angelica said, “Male and female. Three if you count intersex, but we’ll try and keep this basic, so don’t worry about that for now.”

Eliza gestured to Hercules, “You already know that males use ‘he’ pronouns,” then to herself, “and females use ‘she’ pronouns.”

“But there are some that use ‘they’ pronouns.” Peggy said.

“Or ‘xe’.”

“Or ‘zie’.”

“Or ‘sir’.”

“Or ‘ey’.”

“Or ‘per’.”

Angelica waved her hand, “The list goes on and on. In the Earth year 2183, any and all pronouns were accepted under the United Stations Peace Agreement. But ‘they’ pronouns still seem to be the most common for our genderqueer counterparts.”

Gilbert appeared very interested in this new information; “Continue.”

“Well, people who use different pronouns don’t consider themselves to be either male or female. Sometimes they switch between the two, or sometimes they’re not either of them.” Eliza explained.

“Sometimes they don’t consider themself male or female. Or any other gender for that matter.” John shrugged, “Sometimes they’re just genderless.”

Herc quipped in, “Those ones are called agender.”  
Gilbert’s gaze snapped to Hercules with a sudden excitement. It was the first emotion they’d seen on him apart from confusion and it made everyone else a bit excited too. Gilbert bounced on his borrowed feet as he said, “Me! I! Gilbert is that!”

“Agender?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Gilbert nodded enthusiastically. “All Fualtics is, yes!”

“I would’ve guessed genderfluid since they can shapeshift.” Eliza mused to herself.

“The body doesn’t make the gender, Liz.” Peggy chided.

Angelica ignored her little sisters to say, “That’s wonderful! So would you like to go by one of the previously mentioned pronouns, or do you want to stick with ‘he’?”

Gilbert’s excitement slowly dissipated as he thought, “Earth language strange. I wish ‘they’.”

“‘They’?” Peggy confirmed. When Gilbert nodded, the girl smiled and said, “I’ll inform the Captain to make a ship-wide announcement. We want to make sure we get our new friend’s gender right.”  
“No gender.” Gilbert said quickly.

Peggy laughed, “Yes, right. No gender.”

“No gender right.” Gilbert grinned, copying Peggy’s smile as he watched it.

John leaned against Herc, tipping his head back to look up at him, “I wonder if Alex is having this much fun.”

* * *

The ship Alexander was taken to was very unlike the USOE Enterprise. Where Alexander’s ship was clunky and metallic, the Fualtic’s was a pure white; smooth with no corners. The ship was extraordinarily sleek and shiney. Alexander felt like he was visiting a mansion for the first time.

The two Fualtics on the transport ship didn’t speak to him, nor did they speak to each other. They simply navigated in silence, disappearing behind asteroids and space junk. The longer they drove, the less and less Alexander could see the Enterprise. Finally, it disappeared in the distance. A small stone settled in Alexander’s chest; cold and unmoving. He swallowed around it and forced himself to look towards the future. He would be home soon. But for now; he had a job to do.

The Fualtics didn’t say anything to him as they landed. They didn’t say anything as they walked him through the white hallways. Alexander would’ve thought this was disconcerting, considering how this was supposed to be a friendly exchange. But he was distracted by the small bouts of anti-gravity throughout the ship. As Alexander floated up off the floor mid-stride, the Fualtics remained on the ground, continuing as if nothing happened. The absurdity of it made Alexander smile. He made a mental note to write this down in his report.

The Fualtics led him to a large room with hundreds of the aliens standing in neat rows, not speaking. The sight of it was a bit unnerving, but Alexander put on his best smile. These were going to be his crewmates for a while; he wanted to impress them.

“The human is here.” The two Fualtics that had been with him said simultaneously.

One large white figure in the middle, bigger than the rest, walked towards them. Alexander had to tilt his head back to look at the full figure. “The human is here. What name?”

“My name is Alexander Hamilton.” Alex said, reaching his hand out to shake.

The Fualtic’s faceless head looked down at his hand. Slowly, it ploped a slimey, gooey hand in his. Alex laughed at the feeling of it. It was a bit like silly puddy. Like a mix between jello and pudding. It wiggled against his fingers, and, oh- that’s strange. It _vibrates_.

Alex looked up at the rest of the Fualtic and discovered that all of it vibrates. Constantly. Like an energetic kid or a busy machine. Alex blinked in wonder at such a fascinating creature.

The crowd of Fualtics shifted slightly as their scratchy voices echoed, “Hamilton, Hamilton.”

Alex laughed softly and then turned to the big Fualtic in front of him. “Are you the Captain of this ship?”  
In unison, all of the Fualtics spoke, “Untrue.”

“Oh, is there a different Captain?”

“No.”

Alex thought for a second before saying, “So then, am I correct in assuming that there is no distinctive leader on this ship?”

“We all lead the way.”

The human clapped his hands in realization, “You work as a hivemind, correct? You all have the same thoughts, so there’s no need for one to rise about the other. Am I right?”

There was a distinct pause, and then hundreds of scratchy voices replied, “Yes, am I right, yes.”

“Fascinating!” Alexander whispered, before turning back to Big, “So can you contact with the Fualtic on my ship?”

The pause wasn’t as long this time, as the Fualtics all, apparently, tried. Alex was surprised with the answer, “No. Distance is ... bad.”

Alex suddenly felt bad for them. Sympathetic, “So, he’s all alone?”

“Yes.”

“Will he be okay?” Alex asked, turning to look behind him, as if he’d be able to see through the ship and space in order to see the alien.

“Yes.”

“How do you know? Won’t he get lonely?” Alex asked.

Silence greeted him. Alexander turned back to Big, watiing for an answer. Big tilted its head, “What is… lonely?”  
Alex hesitated and said, “It’s hard to explain. But, when you’re lonely, you feel cold. And empty. It happens when no one is around you. Or sometimes when people are around, but don’t care. Or maybe they do care, but not in the right ways. It’s a deep pain in your chest. It’s something that no one wants to be. It’s… It’s lonely.”

The human looked up to Big and felt his shoulders sink as the creature said, “Confusion. Explain?”

“I- I just did.” Alex glanced over at the crowd of blank faceless figures. He was a man of many words, but in this moment, he couldn’t figure out how to elaborate further. How do you describe to someone what loneliness is? People just _know_ , because they’ve experienced it. Alex grasped at the air, wracking his mind for another explanation.

“Indecisive.” Big said and then turned to walk away. Alex was left alone, standing in front of the silent crowd.

Okay, so he messed up. He didn’t explain good enough. That’s okay. He’ll just have to do better. This isn’t too bad. He can do this. He’s here to learn, after all. He better start.

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” Alexander asked, quickly approaching the first row of the crowd.

The Fualtics all nodded once, perfectly timed together. Alex smiled as he pulled up a holographic screen that he can take notes on.

“I was wondering, Earth has just over 200 languages, may of them considered ‘dead’, but still hold value to various linguists. How many languages does your home planet have? And are some valued over others?” Alexander truely did pride himself in his reporting abilities. He’s provided many interviews before, so this isn’t that much different. This was familiar; comfortable.

The Fualtics buzzed, looking at one another. Alexander breifly wondered what was happeinging in their brain. He assumes they can hear each others’ thoughts and communicate without speaking. One near the front turned back to him and said, “Do not know.”

“You don’t know how many languages there are on your own planet?” Alexander frowned slightly, “You can’t even guess?”

“Language: dead.” The Fualtic next to that one said.

Alex readied himself to copy down their answer, “And why is that?”

Instead of verbally answering, the Fualtics all pointed to the little circle in the middle of their chests. Their translators.

Well, that makes sense. When everything is translated on the spot, there becomes no separation between the languages. As time goes on, then there becomes no true ‘language’, only what is and isn’t spoken. But that brought up an interesting question.  
“What about your written languages? Are those translated as well?”

“No write.”

Alex had to hold back his gasp, “You- you don’t write?!”

“No write.”

Something deep inside Alex’s chest broke. He thinks it might have been his heart. Or his soul. Or maybe both.

But nevertheless, he carried on. “Okay, so you passed everything down orally?”

The Fualtics looked to each other, and then at the floor. “Down where?”

“Uh, down to your children.” Alexander said, “As you get older, you teach those younger than you what you know. So the knowledge carries on to the next generation.”

The Fualtics stood there for a moment, watching Alex watch them. Then, slowly, they said, “No children.”

“You don’t have kids?” Alex asked, scribbling it down on his hologram. “How do you reproduce?”

Alexander watched as one of them stepped forward and cleanly split into two, smaller Fualtics. The ones around them applauded quietly.

The two small Fualtics looked up at him expectantly. Alex chuckled softly as he applauded. “Division. Okay, I understand.”

“Undo?” The small ones said, making sure Alex was watching. Then they stepped into each other and merged back into the slightly bigger form.

Alex whistled as he wrote down what he saw. Just simple notes. He’d write a better, longer explanation later.

“So then, since your children are just a smaller copy of yourself - literally - then, they already come with all the knowledge you previously had.” Alexander mused over this for a moment, and then he asked, “Okay, is Earth the first planet you’ve contacted?”

“No.” They said.

“Why not? You’re our closest neighbor. Is there a planet closer to yours that you’ve contacted?” Alex was ready to learn about the Fualtic’s solar system, but all they said was; “No.”

“Oh. So you went further away to meet other lifeforms?”

“Yes.”  
“Why travel so far when Earth was right there?” Alexander asked, genuinely curious.

“Earth…. Had to grow… must accept self before others.”

Alexander paused and then said slowly, “Are you referring to humanity’s racist tendencies?”

The Fualtics nodded. “Once Earth peace, then Fualtics come.”

Alexander let out a soft sigh, “I agree with you on that decision. So have all of your encounters been friendly?”

“No.” The Fualtics had no sense of hesitancy as they admitted, “War, much.”

“That’s not too suprising.” Alexander said, mostly to seem unthreatening. “Can I ask what your war tactics are? Humans have been known to use close combat, nuclear war, biological warfare… What are Fualtics known for?”

A shiver ran down Alex’s spine at the answer. It was short and spoken in unison. Crackling voices of the translators left no emotion in them. And the Fualtics had no faces to observe their expressions on. It was a cold, clipped answer that hung ominously in the air, even as Alexander moved on and asked more questions. But in the back of his mind, it still echoed.

“Psychological.”

* * *

Thomas tipped his head back as hot water poured over him. He had already scrubbed his skin raw, feeling itchy knowing that someone else was walking around in it. His mind was running as rampant as his heart and he tried to ignore how he felt. It wasn’t working. Now he stood, leaning against the wall, a whirlwind of emotions racking through his brain.

Alexander was gone and now an imposter was exploring his ship. An imposter that knew all of his memories. Thomas felt bile rise in the back of his throat. He didn’t mind being outed in front of those people, since most of them were his friends or probably already knew. And sexuality in this day and age wasn’t much to think twice about. The world has advanced since the Great Gay War, as most queers jokingly called it. So it wasn’t the actual context that had Thomas so upset.

It was that it happened at all. He was fine with this creature wearing his face (no he wasn’t, but he was trying hard to be. Southern hospitality and all that.), but he didn’t like that his memories and thoughts came along with it. This stranger, this _alien_ , knew his most deep and personal secrets. That was more than a little terrifying.

“You gotta calm down, Tommy.” Thomas whispered to himself as his shaky hands ran across his face. He knew one way to ease his tensions. Thomas let out a long breath as his hand slowly trailed down his stomach. His muscles relaxed as his fingers brushed against warm skin. He let himself get lost in the pleasuring touches, hiding his insecurities and fears deep in the recesses of his mind.

“You’re afraid.”

Thomas whipped around so fast, he almost slipped. His wide eyes locked with identical ones. The alien had pulled back the curtain without him knowing, letting in cold air and colder eyes, “Wh-what the hell are you doing in here?”

“It is public.” Gilbert tilted their head, like they were confused by the question. “Queston.”

“No.” Thomas growled, not caring if he was being rude to their guest. He was in the fucking shower, dammit. He was wet and naked and half-hard. Speaking of which; his hands darted down to cover his junk. But the alien didn’t seem even remotely interested in it.

Gilbert continued, taking a step forward, “Question: why are you always afraid?”

“Bitch, I have anxiety.” Thomas hissed, backing himself into the corner of his stall. “Kindly piss off.”

“You are afraid Alexander will not come back.” Gilbert stated, calmly, seriously. It wasn’t a question.

“What, you can read my thoughts? How do you know that?” Thomas said, then belatedly added, “NO I AIN’T!”

Gilbert shook their head slowly, “Memories. You care for him.”

“What if I do?” Thomas muttered, “This doesn’t have to do with humanity or anything. You don’t need to know any of this.”

“What if I do?” Gilbert repeated, watching Thomas’ reactions. “Human emotion: strange.”

Thomas gaped his mouth like a fish, unsure of how to continue. He closed his mouth and pushed past the alien, grabbing his towel, “Alright. We can have girl talk some other time, when I’m _not_ showering.”

Gilbert watched him as he wrapped a towel around himself. They squinted at him, and pointed, “She?”

“What- oh, girl talk, no, Jesus, shut up.” Thomas stomped out of the bathroom, blushing red and refusing to look back. As soon as he could, he was going to go to the Captain. Something had to be done about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

It was only hours later, as Alexander grew tired, did he realize that he hadn't been shown a room for himself. Wandering through the endless white maze, Alexander searched for Big. Despite the aliens telling him that there was no distinct leader, Big was still in charge in Alexander's eyes. He saw no harm in that.

They let him explore the ship on his own; which was either an extreme expression of trust, or a subtle declaration that Alexander was no threat to them. Perhaps both.

Alexander didn't find Big, but he did run into another Fualitc. He decided they would be helpful enough.

"I was wondering where my room is." Alexander explained, "I was getting tired and will need some sleep soon."

The Fualitc nodded once, silently, and led Alexander to a circular room with incredibly high ceilings. Up and around the walls were deep intents, almost like alcoves. The Fualitc turned to Alexander and waited.

"Um." Alex slowly approached one of the lowest alcoves. It was literally just a hole in the wall, no wider than Alex's hips and no deeper than his arm. The Fualitc slunked over and climbed into the spot. Alexander watched as it filled up the little hole; like liquid settling in a bowl.

Alexander chuckled, quickly scribbling down what he saw. "That's very helpful for you, I suppose. But my body cannot shift like that. I need a bed. Something big enough for me to lay on."

The Fualitc deflated slightly.

"No, no, no, no, I love it! It's a very lovely hole!" Alexander quickly backtracked, "But I don't even think I can fit in it! I'm just too boney! It's not your fault or anything!"

Slowly, the Fualtic crawled out of the hole and looked at Alexander. It grew and shifted until it was Alexander's size. Then it observed itself, apparently thinking.

"Follow?" The Fualtic turned and came out the same way they came. Alexander looked back at the holes in the wall for a second, and then quickly jogged after the alien.

They stopped at an empty hallway. There were no doors, no windows; merely the blank white walls stretching onward. But the Fualtic turned to Alexander and held up a gooey, round hand.

"Stay."

"Okay." Alexander said.

"Okay stay." It nodded and then turned to the empty wall. Alexander's eyes widened in excitement as it walked forward and merged into the wall. Alex bounced on his feet, looking around the halls to see if anyone saw that, but of course no one else would be impressed with  _phasing through a wall_  because they can all do that but  _dear Lord_ that was so unpredicted and incredible and  _wow_!

Alex quickly pulled up his hologram and wrote out everything he was thinking. He only stopped when a little blob poked out from the wall, watching him.

"Okay ready?"

"Yes!" Alexander said, a bit too loudly, "What did you do? How did you do it?"

In reply, the creature came out of the wall all the way. In it's place, was a door. White and sleek, barely visible, but there. Alexander didn't have to be told to open it.

He quickly stepped into the new room.

"This wasn't here before." Alexander gasped, as the room, which was very large, shifted around him.

"No." The Fualtic confirmed. "I made."

Alexander turned to him, amazed, "How?!"

The Fualtic thought for a moment, and then said in a crackly voice, "Carefully."

Alexander laughed, "Was that a joke? Did you just make a joke?"

"What need?" The Fualtic walked to the middle of the room, "Think."

"Think?" Alexander blinked, shaking his head softly, "Um, I need a bed."

As he said it, a white, circular bed formed next to the Fualitc. Alex's voice grew louder with giddy emotion. "And- and a desk! With a chair! A bathroom! With a shower!"

With each thing he said, it appeared in some form around the room. While everything was white and sleek, it was still recognizable as what Alexander thought. Alex spun in a circle, looking at each piece of furniture. He let out a small squeal as he jumped on the bed. It moved under him, much like a waterbed, and then solidified to keep his weight. Alexander sighed as he spread out against the soft material.

"I haven't been in a bed this comfy … ever." Alexander laughed. The Fualtic walked up to him, watching as he stretched. Alex chuckled when the alien copied his movements.

"You like?"

"Yes, I like very much." Alex smiled softly, "Thank you."

The Fualtic nodded and then started to head back to the door. "You do the sleep now?"

Alex snuggled up under a thick white blanket. "Don't mind if I do."

* * *

Thomas walked through his hologram as he spoke, aggressively glancing out the window to watch the storms of Jupiter swirl. "I just- I don't like it. It doesn't  _feel_  right. You know?"

"Yes, you've told me this many times." James said, fixing the scrambled hologram. "What do they do that freaks you out so much? Have they, like, threatened you or anything?"

"Well, no, not  _verbally_." Thomas's hands twitched as his gaze drifted over to The Great Red Spot. That storm will never end. It's a destructive mass that has been cycling for hundreds of years. It catches up even the smallest of winds and coaxes them into a tornado of death. Thomas shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "It's just, the way they  _look_  at me. Like I'm some kind of science experiment."

James lowered his hands, looking through the hologram to raise an eyebrow. "They are here to learn, Thomas."

Thomas rolled his eyes, "I know that. I just wish I wasn't the labrat."

"I wonder why they chose you." James said quietly. "Either way, you should try to worry less. Even if they're a little different, they're not evil. They don't want to hurt you."

"As far as we know!" Thomas raised his voice. "They came into my shower!"

James sighed, turning his attention to the hologram again. He started pressing various buttons, typing something into a command strip. "I think you're overreacting."

"I think I'm reacting the perfect amount." Thomas crossed his arms and turned to look at his friend, giving his back to Jupiter. "I think you're underreacting.

"Have you spoken to Washington about this?" James' gaze flicked up for a second.

Thomas's arms slowly fell to his side, "No… He's been locked up in the command center. The Captain doesn't wish to speak to anyone at the moment."

"Wonder what's wrong." James muttered, before pressing a button with finality. The hologram disappeared, "But I'm going to prove to you I'm right."

"How's that?" Thomas jut out his chin, raising an eyebrow.

There was a knock on the door. "Chief Jefferson?"

Thomas ran a hand down his uniform, smoothing the material. "Come in."

Eliza poked her head through the door, glancing over to James for a second. "You requested to see the Immigrant?"

Thomas shot James a glare, who appeared smug. "Yes, bring them in."

Eliza opened the door further and tugged Gilbert into Jefferson's office. Thomas's eye twitched slightly to see the woman was holding their hand as she led them. He wanted to scream, ' _don't touch that!'_ , but he knew better than to make a scene.

"Thank you Eliza, that will be all." Thomas smiled warmly to the girl, who disappeared out the office without another word. Jefferson cocked his head to Madison. "I'm waiting."

Gilbert cocked their head as well, mimicking Thomas' expression, "I'm waiting."

James shook his head, but smiled. He turned to Thomas' desk and grabbed a ribbon from it. Wrapping it around his wrist once, twice, he shifts to address Gilbert.

"Stay still." James approached the alien, holding the ribbon tight between his hands.

Once James was a foot away, he reached a hand up. Gilbert's entire expression changed. Immediately, they held up their hands in a weak defense; their knees bent, their face turned away. The entire posture spoke clearly; Gilbert was scared. Submissive.

And then there was their voice.

They spoke quickly, fluently. Their scratchy, robotic voice was dropped to fit perfectly into Thomas' southern drawl. There was no mistaking the emotion in that voice.

"Wait, wait!" They almost shouted, "JemmyJames, it's me! Tommy! Don't hurt me, I'm your friend, your buddy. We grew up together! You don't want to hurt me- please- I love you, man! You're my best friend!"

James slowly lowered his hands. His lips were parted in surprise, his eyes wide, and his blood had run very, very cold. Madison turned to look to Thomas, who was torn between backing the fuck up and rushing forward to save James. But James wasn't being attacked or anything. Gilbert was still ducking, looking broken and pitiful.

"Um…" James said eloquently, looking back to the alien. "I'm not going to hurt you, Gilbert."

After a second of pause, the alien unfolded and looked down expectantly at James. Their expression was as blank as ever. Their voice was back to the crackly accent as they said, "Oh. What do?"

James slowly reached up again and gathered Gilbert's borrowed hair into a tight bun. He then tied it with the ribbon that he grabbed. "That's all I was going to do. Put your hair up."

Gilbert curiously ran their hands over their head, exploring the new poof. "Question. Why?"

"I thought it would make Thomas more comfortable, if you looked a little different." James explained. His voice was hollow; his movements slow. He could still see Thomas, his friend, shaking in front of him.

Gilbert nodded once and then turned to Thomas. They blinked innocently, and asked, "Successful?"

Thomas moved then, grabbing onto James and pulling him away from the alien. "No!"

Gilbert didn't seem too upset about that. They touched their new bun once more and then said, "I keep anyway."

"That will be all, please." James mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper, "You may go now."

Neither one of the men looked away until the door closed behind the alien. They didn't relax when they were alone, either.

"What the fuck." James whispered.

"I know." Thomas whispered back; clutching his friend's arm.

James turned to him suddenly, touching his hands, his chest, his face, "Are you okay? You know I'd never hurt you, right? I wasn't going to hurt you!"

"I'm fine, James. That wasn't me. I'm fine." Thomas said, pulling him close to his chest. They stood there for a long moment, watching the storm on Jupiter angrily whip gas and debris around at over 400 miles per hour. "It's alright, I'm here."

James rested his cheek against Thomas' chest. "We have to tell Washington."

* * *

When Alexander woke up, the first thing he wanted to do was take a shower. On Earth, he rarely got to shower. A shower was a luxury few could afford. A hot shower is a distant dream. But here, on this ship, Alexander not only had a shower, but his  _own_  shower. His own  _hot_  shower.

Sure, they had showers on the Enterprise, but those were reserved for the higher ups. Alexander was too low on the food chain to get access to those. That's not to say he hadn't had a shower on the Enterprise before, though…

As the water rolled over his tense shoulders, relaxing the muscles underneath, he let his mind wander to the first hot shower he ever took. It was on the Enterprise, only a month or so into the trip.

He thought of the dark hands that gently nudged him under the spray. He thought of the deep, chuckling voice that whispered, "It's alright, I'm here."

Alex's cheeks blushed at how excited he was then - and how excited his is now, if he's being honest - just for the chance to have a hot shower. Back then, he didn't even think twice before he dropped to his knees for the man that gave him such an opportunity.

The memory brought a smile to Alex's lips. God, he missed him. He missed everyone, and it had only been a day or two. Time was weird when he wasn't around Earth's sun. He wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed since he left Enterprise.

Regardless, there were multiple times when a Fualtic said or did something that made Alexander turn to comment to John or Herc or Eliza, only to find that none of them were there.

It was probably an hour before Alexander got out of the shower. He was going to get his fill of this precious gift. Because, sure, he  _could_  be snuck into the showers on the Enterprise, but those exciting moments were few and far between. This, was his. He was going to enjoy every second of it.

But the best part of enjoying something is to share it with someone. So when Alexander got dressed again, he jogged to the nearest Fualten and asked them to bring him to the command center.

The Big Fualten that greeted him was there, working white controls effortlessly.

"Hello." Alexander said as he approached the creature. "I was just showering - lovely thing, thank you for it - and I remembered I hadn't checked in with the Enterprise yet. I was wondering where your communication station is?"

"Is broke." Big said, not looking up from what they were doing.  
"I'm sorry?" Alexander asked.

"It okay." Big raised a large paw and patted him once.

Alex shook his head, "No, I mean, what do you mean it's broke?"

Big stopped pressing buttons then and gestured over to a large control panel under a skylight. "Solar flare; fry curtis."

"Oh." Alexander's shoulders deflated. He approached the panel and gently ran a hand over the buttons. None of them seemed responsive. "When can you get it fixed?"

"Hard tell." Big shuffled up to him. "Part rare. Communication urgent?"

Alexander hesitated, "I guess not. I just wanted to report to my Captain and talk to my friends. But, I suppose I can wait."

"I can wait." Big repeated before returning to the previous control panel they were working on. Alex got the distinct feeling he was just dismissed. Slowly, the man stumbled out of the command center. He stopped out in the hall and sighed.

Who was he supposed to share this awesome experience with now?

A Fualtic walked by.

"Excuse me! Have you ever had a shower?!"

* * *

There was a celebratory dinner for the Fualtic. Everyone got extra rations and the Captain even allowed the crew the night off, as well as some liquor. No one had seen the Captain, but that was fine. There were no sad faces tonight as music was blasted out of speakers.

The Schuyler sisters, along with Hercules and John, were sitting around a table, drinking and chatting.

"So, I'm from Earth's moon." Eliza said. "Me and my sisters are Moon Babies."

"But we're from Mars." Hercules slung an arm around John. "We're Martians."

Gilbert hadn't touched their drink, instead they focused on what the tipsy humans were saying. "Explain. All human?"

"Yeah." Peggy nodded, "In like, 2046? They started sending humans up to colonize the Moon. Our family was one of the first to successfully live there for generations."

Hercules added, "Shortly after, they did the same thing with Mars."

Gilbert frowned, leaning forward, "Question: Why?"

Angelica swirled her drink in her cup, "Why not? Earth was getting too dirty; too many people, not enough space. So those who could afford it paid for a way out. Those who couldn't, well-"

"Alexander is from Earth!" John shouted suddenly.

"His is." Herc confirmed. "That's why he's so short. All that gravity was pushing down on him."

Gilbert nodded, believing this to be truth.

Aneglica hesitated, wondering how to best word this, "The lowest class of humans, ironically, are on our homeworld. The middle class, from Mars. And the highest class is from the moon. To put it simply. There are other, more complex situations. This isn't always the case. But it's a good bet to just assume that."

Gilbert turned to Peggy and asked, "What Earth like?"

"We went once, when I was really young." Peggy said, almost shyly, "Eliza snuck us on a ship."

"It was Angelica's idea!"

"I wanted to see the people who really knew how to  _work!_ "

Peggy continued, "Daddy said not to go. He wanted us to be around him all the time, you know? After our mother died. But we wanted to see the worlds. Earth was the first place to go, obviously. I think he was disappointed when we were all accepted to join the Enterprise."

"Getting there was the hard part. We had to sneak onto a cargo ship, hide in a crate, withstand reentering Earth's atmosphere, sneaking out of the ship..." Angelica said, still talking about Earth. "Once we wanted to return back to the moon? Surprisingly easy."

Hercules and John were invested in the story now. "What'd you do?"

Eliza shrugged, "Three pretty, rich girls went up to the Superior Director of the nearest Station and said that we were lost and had nowhere else to go."

"They took us in, checked our IDs and DNA, then sent us up in a ship and, boom, we were home." Angelica added. "No charge. Said they did it for our safety."

"Daddy was  _so_  pissed." Peggy finished.

There was a long pause, and then Gilbert turned to Hercules and John. "You seen Earth?"

"We have never been to Earth in our  _lives_!" John almost screamed. "I've never even been to the fucking Moon!"

For some reason, this made the smaller man to burst out laughing. Hercules shook his head in amusement, gently pushing John's drink away from him.

"You Martians are always drunk." Angelica snorted.

"Uh, Moonies are always high!" John shot back.

"Yes, and Earthlings are always starving, aren't stereotypes great?" Thomas muttered as he walked up to the group.

Eliza filled Gilbert in, "Thomas and James are also from the Moon. But they sometimes visit Earth?"

But Gilbert was stuck on what Thomas said, "What is starving?"

"When there's no food to eat." Hercules informed, smiling as John yawned against his chest.

"Food?" Gilbert turned to Angelica.

She held up a bag of chips and said, "What we eat. We need it to survive."

Gilbert nodded, "Understood."

Thomas crossed his arms, but said nothing. He didn't sit down with them. Instead, he stood next to the table, watching them talk about their homes. He came here to find the Captain, but it appeared as though he was absent from the celebratory dinner.

"When we were on Earth, it rained." Eliza said, "It was  _so cool_."

"There's no weather on the moon, so to see water  _falling from the sky_ ," Peggy waved her hands around, like that was the best way to express her emotions.

John jolted forward, almost falling off his stool, if it weren't for Herc's arm wrapping around his waist. "You think no weather is bad?! Try having  _sandstorms_  every week!"

Hercules chuckled as he said, "I heard on Earth they have sandless storms. Things like, uh, tornadoes."

"And hurricanes!" John slammed his fist down on the table. "Could you imagine that much water!"

"I don't think you heard me." Peggy said, closing her eyes for a moment. When everyone quieted slightly, she shouted, "WATER FELL FROM THE SKY!"

Everyone started speaking over each other about various types of weather they've heard of or experienced. Angelica and Thomas started an argument about the pros and cons of having no weather or having  _all the weather_. There was a distinct, crackly voice that destroyed any previous conversations instantaneously.

"Alexander Hamilton is starving."

All human eyes darted to Gilbert, who sat quietly, undisturbed.

"I'm sorry?" Hercules said.

"It is okay." Gilbert replied.

Angelica stood up, slamming her hands on the table, "What do you mean Alexander is starving?!"

Gilbert looked up, their eyes moving slower than their head. "Alexander Hamilton is from Earth."

"Yes, and?" John said.

"He is a human." Gilbert stated.

"And?" Herc hissed.

"He needs food to survive." Gilbert spoke slowly, like the people around them were small children. Which is an interesting trait they must have picked up from listening to other crew members talk to one another. "Fualtics do not."

"AND!?" Eliza was being held by Peggy, and no one could really tell who was doing the comforting.

Gilbert's words hissed and popped like a campfire. They burned each and every individual surrounding the table. They left a dark scorch mark in the hearts of those who heard them.

"There is no food on my ship. Alexander Hamilton will starve."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

Interesting to everyone but himself, Gilbert turned to Thomas and observed his clearly terrified expression. Thomas had not said a word, stunned into silence the moment Gilbert first uttered that phrase.

The alien said blankly, "You are afraid."

"Yeah, sign me up for the Afraid Train" Angelica said, "what do you mean there is no food?!"

"Did Alexander bring food?" Gilbert asked.

"No, he didn't really pack anything." Hercules said quietly, his voice raw.

John mumbled numbly, "Just his holograms to document everything. And some clothes."

"Then there is none." Gilbert said with finality.  
Eliza was shaking, "Well, can they just, get some?! Come back and get some food, or, or, or-"

"Very highly unlikely." Gilbert observed his drink for the first time, dipping a finger in it.

Thomas turned on his heel and sprinted away from the table, his heart in his throat and his mind moving as fast as his legs. He didn't stop until he was outside the Command Center. He was going to just barge in and find the Captain, but the guards stopped him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Thomas snarled, "I need to see the Captain!"

"The Captain has requested that no one bother him at this moment." One of the guards said.

"I have the authority to go in there, I have access!" Thomas said, pulling his ID card out of his pocket. But these guards already know that. They know who he is; everyone does.

The guards shook their heads, "I'm sorry, sir. But the-"

Thomas ignored them and ducked under their guns, practically rolling through the doors. He heard the guards chase after him, but Thomas didn't care. He ran into the room, noticing how empty it was. Not even the Captain's second-in-commands were lingering around. Thomas made eye-contact with the Captain, just as the guards grabbed him by the arms.

Thomas struggled, about to shout, when the Captain spoke calmly, "Release him."

Begrudgingly, the guards let go of Thomas and backed back out of the room. Thomas could feel their glares as they retreated.

"I should really get better security." The Captain mumbled softly, turning back to the screen he was looking at.

Thomas strolled up to him, his fear hidden behind faux confidence, "Sir. I have evidence for a justifiable reason to end the Immigrant Program."

The Captain didn't look up, didn't respond.

"The alien - Gilbert - has been spreading paranoia on the ship." Thomas says.

Still nothing.

"I have reason to believe that they have malicious intent!"

The Captain sighs long and loud. He rolls his shoulders and then looks over to Thomas. "Please, Mr. Jefferson, I have more important things to worry about than your anxiety."

Thomas flinched, stepping back. The Captain was hardly a cruel man. But now that Thomas got a better look at him; he could see the dark bags under his eyes; the tension in his shoulders; the way he gripped his chair tightly.

"George…" Thomas pushed his own worries away for a moment, "Is everything alright?"

The Captain squinted his eyes, pursing his lips. After a moment of consideration, he admits quietly, "I believe I may have made a grave mistake."

Thomas stepped forward until he could rest a hand on the Captain's shoulder, "How so?"

The Captain closed his eyes, letting out a long breath, "I have lost all contact with the Fualtic's ship."

Thomas felt his fingers tighten on the Captain's shoulder. He quickly forced himself to let go; trying to stay calm. "Oh. That's all."

"Their ship has traveled farther than our scanners can track." The Captain adds, "They're gone."

"With Alex." Thomas whispers.

"Yes, with Alexander Hamilton." The Captain said, glancing up at Thomas with a slightly questioning look. "I have been trying to decide how I should tell the crew."

"You can't." Thomas said quickly. "Hamilton's friends are already under stress with the news that Gilbert just gave them."

The Captain sighed, "And what news would that be?"

The words were caught in Thomas' throat. He wasn't sure if he could repeat what the alien explained so simply. Maybe if he didn't say it out loud, it wouldn't be true. But he knew he had to tell his Captain.

Swallowing hard, Thomas opened his mouth to speak.

* * *

"Alexander Hamilton is starving."

Alex laughed, rubbing his neck, "Well, I don't know about  _starving_. But I just noticed that I haven't eaten anything since I was on the Enterprise."

The Fualitcs he was talking to, looked at each other, somewhat confused. It had been a while since Alexander boarded their ship. And maybe it was because he was used to being hungry; but he didn't notice the dull pain in his stomach until he had a moment of silence. When it became clear to him the cause of such a feeling; he approached the Fualitcs and asked for directions to the cafeteria.

"What 'eaten'?" One Fualitc asked.

"You know. Eat food?" Alex gestured vaguely with his hands, "Humans have to eat food in order to stay alive. It gives us nutrients and energy and stuff."  
The other Fualtic tilted its head, "Like the sleeping?"

Alex nodded, "Kind of. I need to eat and sleep in order to stay alive. I'm just bad at doing both."

"Takes skill." The Fualtic said to the other. They nodded in understanding.

"Well, no, not skill, just-" Alex flushed, almost embarrassed by his lack of self-preservation. "Yeah. Okay."

The Fualtics had already started to walk away and Alex had to jog to keep up with them. As they passed through another zero-gravity spot, Alex frantically tried to swim through the air to stay with his hosts. They stopped outside a large window. A red supergiant star blazed beside them. The glass must've been protective, because Alex didn't have to squint to look at the star.

The Fualitcs settled down, their bodies looking a bit more like bean bags, and they waited.

"Um-" Alex looked around, "I still need food?"

Alex must be getting better at understanding the faceless expressions, because he almost could see the outlines of a frown. "Sun is food?"

"No, I can't- do you mean photosynthesis? I can't do that. I'm not a plant." Alex almost felt like laughing, but the hunger pains were growing.

The Fualtics looked at each other, and then back to Alex. "We photosynthesis."

Alex rolled his eyes, "That's fascinating; but I can't. I need meat or a vegetable or fruit or something. I eat other organisms."

The Fualitcs spoke at the same time then, "Class B nutritional species!"

"Yeah, sure." Alex muttered, crossing his arms. Suddenly the ship lurched to the left and Alex stumbled into one of the gooey-beings. They patted his back, watching as the star grew further away.

"Go fast now."

Alex blinked and suddenly, the star was gone. They were speeding through the universe faster than Alexander ever thought possible. He swallowed as he saw galaxies wiz past them. Distantly, he wondered how far away from home he was. When compared to the pain in his chest, the pain in his stomach didn't feel so bad anymore.

Then, they were slowing down. Alex gasped as another spaceship passed them. The area they just entered was buzzing with life. Ships both big and small puttered around them.

Alex stepped away from the aliens and walked closer to the window. He placed a hand on the cold glass as a strange squid-like creature floated past them.

"Where are we?" Alex asked, his voice filled with wonder.

"Central Universal Hub."

Alex smiled as a small fluffy creature in another ship waved at him. He waved back, "Why? What are we doing here?"

"We tell others you need the food." One of the Fualitcs explained.

"We here get some." The other added.

The ship pulled to a stop inside a brown room. Some small, grey creatures jumped on the ship and spit green liquids on the windows. Then, they pulled out a rag and cleaned the spit away. Alex laughed in surprise.

The wall next to the window melted away into a small doorway. Alex didn't think twice before running out it. They appeared to be in some sort of alien mall - there were creatures of all shapes, sizes, and colors wandering around. Everywhere Alex looked, there was something new.

A purple being with four eyes swung from one wall to the other. A small red creature teleported to cut in line. A creature with large teeth was getting them sanded down; as another was licking the toothy-sand off the floor.

Alex wanted to run off and interview each and every alien, but there was suddenly a Fualtic on each side of him. One had a blobby hand on his shoulder, while the other watched the crowd carefully.

"Stay close."

"Hold my hand."

Alex felt like a child as he let the Fualtic hold his hand and lead him to the right store. But as they walked further from the ship; he realized why they were so on-guard. Every single alien stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Alex. He felt the hair on his neck rise at their gazes.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" Alex whispered.

"Tasty." Said one Fualitc.

"Useful." Said the other.

He wasn't sure which answer he hated more. Useful how? In what ways? He knew better than to ask that question.

The Fualitcs led him into what appeared to be an old antique shop. The owner had large teeth and two tails. When the Fualtics walked in, he groaned. But when he saw Alex, he sat up straighter and smiled a toothy grin.

"Hello! What do we have here!?" One of his tails slithered over to Alex and brushed against his chin. The feeling of it made him shiver uncomfortably.

"Need food." The Fualtic said in unison.

"Why, yes, I do." The creature was watching Alexander intently. "What's your offer?"

"No." They said, "He need food."

The creature rolled his eyes, "Upgrade your translation systems. I can feed him plenty. What's your offer?"

"No." They grew loud, "Not for sale. Need food for him."

"I can give you a new translator, one for each of ya, just for that little scrawny thing." The creature's tail wrapped around Alex's throat, and Alex squeaked, his hand coming up to claw at the slimey thing.

"No!" The Fualic on Alex's left picked him up then, pulling him out of the creature's grasp. Alex was put on the alien's back, practically out of sight of the shop owner. Alex ducked down, but kept his gaze on the scene before him. "Class B nutrition!"

The creature sighed, apparently giving up. "How much?"

"50 boxes."

"Alright, alright." The creature's tails moved around, grabbing various things and putting them into little boxes. Alex pulled out a hologram and recorded the creature's movements.

"How much?" The Fualtics asked.

The creature looked over to Alex again, licking his lips. "You sure you don't want to sell your pet instead?"

"How much?" They repeated.

The creature sighed, "Alright; half of you, then."

Alex watched as the Fualitc that wasn't holding him split into two different Fualtics. They nodded to one another, as one of them grabbed all the boxes. The Fualtic holding Alex pulled him around so he was pressed against its chest. They turned and walked out of the shop while carrying the little human. Alex looked over the Fualitc's shoulder to see the new, smaller one being left behind.

"You sell part of yourselves?" Alex asked as the creature's tail trailed up and down the little Fualtic.

"Yes."

"Why?!" Alex tore his gaze away to see the other little Fualitc; arms full of boxes of food.

"Useful." The Fualitc replied, unfazed by Alex's horror.

Alex looked down at his hologram, realizing it was still filming. He distractedly panned the camera across the hundreds of different species that were looking at him, once again. He stopped recording when they were back on the ship. The Fualtic set him down gently.

"So everything is a bartering system?" Alex asked.

"Yes."  
"And you trade your own kind away?!"

"Yes."  
"And you're okay with that!?  
"Yes."

The little Fualtic held out one of the boxes of food. "Need the eat?"

Alex shook his head, steping away from them. "No, no…"

"No eat?" The little Fualitc looked down at the boxes in its hands, "Question: why?"

"I just- I'm not hungry anymore." Alex turned and walked down the hallway, not really going anywhere specific, he just needed some time to wrap his mind around all this.

* * *

"It's a lot to handle, ain't it?"

Alex scoffed softly, letting himself fall down to his knees, "Oh, you  _wish_."

"Hush, puppet. Or you'll go back into the engine room with the others." A hand ran through his hair, pushing his bangs out of his way.

Alex was supposed to be working on the generators right now with his team. But he was called up here for 'special requirements' and it, well, he'd rather be hot and sweaty for this reason than for engineering. "Hmm, I don't think so. You'd miss me too much."

"Wha- I-"

"Aw! You're blushing!" Alex couldn't help but tease. He always got redder when Alex pointed out his complexion.

There wasn't much talking after that.

This moment wasn't the first time Alex was snuck away from his work. The first was done with a lot less finesse. The first was quick and shaky. But that's alright. Because this moment wasn't the last time the two got together, either.

But there was something interesting about this moment. It was something that made both men think back on it with fondness. Maybe it was the crackle in the air around them as they watched each other. Maybe it was the low light; since the generator was yet to be fixed. Maybe it was the easy way they fell into each other. The confidence, the familiarity.

For whatever reason, both men had admitted to themselves; this was the moment that they had fallen - or started to fall - for the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Alex was blessed to be chosen for the Enterprise. Only thirteen people from Earth were chosen. All the rest are either Martian or Moonies. It may sound strange, but it was for the Earthling's safety. They're bodies aren't used to things like zero gravity, advanced solar radiation, and pure oxygen. These things could be fatal to an inexperienced body. Not to mention; the price of bringing someone from the Earth to space was far too high to have a heavily Earthling-populated crew. It's much cheaper to pick up someone from Mars or the Moon than it is to send someone from Earth into space. However; Earthlings will work much cheaper; some will even work for free if, at the end of their term, they are granted access onto Mars.

This was Alexander's case. He was a brilliant man, who had nothing to lose. His family had all died and he was not one to make friends easily. Nothing was keeping him on the rock that he called home. So when he heard of the recruiting for the Enterprise; he waited in a line that was six miles long.

After two full days of waiting; Alexander was in the air-conditioned building where the recruiters were staying. While the entire population of Earth was waiting in the hot sun - some passing out and being pulled out of line - the recruiters were waiting in nice comfy chairs, out of the sun. Alexander ranted for a good three hours about this while he stood in line. Inside the building there was a large holographic sign that had the number 6 on it. Only six spots were left for the position. Alex stared at the number while he waited, feeling it's ominous lights stare at him. Four more hours had passed and Alexander was at the front of the line, handing the recruiter his papers. The man glanced down at his resume and then handed it back immediately.

"No."

Alexander balked, "Excuse me!?"

"Did I misspeak?" The man raised his perfectly-plucked eyebrow, "No. Next!"

"You didn't even read my essay or-"

"I don't have to." The recruiter leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You can't even speak Martian or Moonie. Why would we take someone that we can't communicate with?"

Alex growled, "We're communicating just fine right now."  
"Are we?" The man sneered, "I distinctly remember saying 'go away'. And yet, you're still here."

"I'm not leaving until you seriously look at my papers. You barely glanced at them. I've been standing in line for two days; I want a better chance than this." Alex looked around at the four other recruits, who were flipping through applications. "Is there another official I can talk to instead?"

"I'm just trying to move this line along so you people can get out of the sun and back to your families." The guy said, sounding awful high-and-mighty.

It was Alex's turn to sneer, "Then start reading."  
To Alex's surprise, the man didn't call security on him. Instead, he chuckled and picked up the papers. "Alright, Hamilton. Let's see what you got."  
Alex stood, waiting as the man read his words. Occasionally, the guy would hum or write something down in his notes. Each time, Alex flinched. He had written and rewritten this essay more times than he could count. This was his one and only shot; it had to be perfect.

Alex took a moment to look over the man that would be deciding his fate. He was clearly of wealth; if his clean form and fine posture wasn't enough to prove it, then the smooth line of make-up over his eyelids was. Not to mention his uniform; which was a different color than the other recruiters. He was a higher up in whatever field he was in. His hair was wild, but not in the way an Earthling's would be. It was almost styled to appear so. Alex's hand twitched behind his back as he wanted to touch it. Occasionally, the man would chew on his pen, letting the small tool slide between his lips. The man, although an asshole, was very attractive. By his accent, Alex could tell he was from the Moon; so he was used to the luxuries of the aristocracy. Everything about the man made Alex's teeth grind. He wanted his answer soon so he could never see him again.

Unfortunately, the man was drawing out the moment. His gaze flicked up to look at Alexander from under his lashes. Without looking away, he said, "James. Come read this garbage."

Alex scowled, but kept his mouth shut as another recruiter left his table to take the papers from him. Alex glanced over at the line that was abandoned. They were all glaring over at Alexander, who had prolonged their wait, and possibly ruined their chances at freedom. When Alex looked back at the two recruiters, the original was watching him, his hands folded together. The second one was reading Alex's papers, his expression carefully blank.

Eventually, the second guy looked up at him, studying him thoroughly. He set the papers down on the desk and patted the first recruiter's shoulder twice. They shared a quiet conversation in Moonie and then the guy was gone; back to his own line.

Alex chewed on the inside of his cheek, nerves exploding inside him. "So?"

The man let him squirm a second longer before he took out a small rectangular object. Alexander had never seen one up close before; but he knew what it was. The man grabbed Alex's hand and pricked his finger. Alex winced only because of the surprise. The little object absorbed his blood and then blinked to life. A small blue screen appeared with all of Alex's credentials on it. A holographic device. Alex got his own hologram.

"You will report back here in three days with everything you need for the trip." The man said, scribbling something on papers with his right hand while he worked through various hologram screens with his left. He didn't look at him as he said, "We can only afford to pay you-"

"I don't need it." Alex interrupted.

This made the guy look up. "Excuse me?"  
"I don't need a salary." Alexander said firmly.

"You're willing to risk your life and limbs, for  _free_?"

"Yes."

The man hesitated, and then wrote something down. Alex discreetly read it upside down.

_Fucking idiot._

Alex took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "All I want is passage onto the Moon once this is all done."

"I cannot give you Moon access." The man said slowly, "But I'll grant you access to Mars."

Alex hesitated, but agreed. Mars is still far better than the Earth. He could make an acceptable life for himself on Mars. "Okay."

"I'll see you in three days, then." The man pushed a button on his hologram and the large screen that sat at the far wall of the room changed from 6 to 5.

He did it. Dear Lord, he did it! He actually did - he's leaving Earth. He's going to space! Excitement and wonder and pure thankfulness swirled in his chest the entire walk home. He kept fidgeting with his hologram, sliding through its little screens until he had it memorized.

When Alexander got back to his little shack, he most definitely didn't cry tears of joy. Except for the parts where he did.

* * *

Numb. That's what Alexander was. He was numb.

Sitting on his white bed, in a white room, absolutely alone. He felt incredibly cold, but he didn't even bother getting under his blankets. His knees were pulled up to his chest as he chewed the inside of his cheek.

The Fualtics left all the food in a pile in the corner of Alex's room, but he couldn't bring himself to eat any of it. A Fualtic was  _sold_  for that. He was allowed to eat because another being's freedom was taken away from it. Just the knowledge of that alone made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

He poked uselessly at his hologram, hoping that it'd miraculously connect to the Enterprise so he could talk to one of his friends.

God, John would go  _nuts_  about this. He'd storm back to that shop and demand to have the Fualitc back. He'd lecture these aliens about their morals and be absolutely pissed off at their nonchalance. Alex smiled softly at the thought of his friend red-faced and spitting mad. Hercules would have to hold him back.

Alex sighed curled up in a ball; staring blankly at the green screen of his hologram. He tapped it a few times until it went to a blank document. Slowly he typed out the next part of his report.

_While dismissive of the safety of their own kind, the Fualtics were rather protective of myself, as shown in the video at_

Backspacebackspacebackspace.

_The universal alien capitalism and currency systems are fully controlled by a trade and barter system, which my captors use to their advantage by promoting the enslavement of their oftspring. They do so by_

Backspacebackspacebackspace.

_I cannot yet tell if they kept me alive because I, as a human, am rare (and therefore valuable), or if they simply wish to keep peace between our species. The evidence suggest_

Backspacebackspacebackspace.

_I shit you not these fuckers might be heartless_

Perfect.

Alex groaned and slid his holographic device shut, tarnishing the hologram. He dropped it unceremoniously on his bed and flopped over in the fetal position. He sat in silence, staring at the white wall before him.

His chest ached in ways that he thought not possible outside of Earth's atmosphere.

* * *

"The knocking?"

Peggy looked up from where she sat at her desk. She lowered her lipstick and smiled warily at the alien standing in her doorway. "Oh, Mx. Gilbert. To what do I have the pleasure?"

"I have lost." Gilbert admitted, glancing down the hallway, a small grimace growing on their face. Peggy was surprised to see genuine emotion on the creature's face that she almost forgot to reply.

"Oh, you're lost? Do you need directions?" Peggy stood up, but stopped as the alien shook their head.

"Fine." Gilbert said, their expression blank once again. "Human ship: difficult. Fualtic ship: simple."

Peggy slowly sat back down and allowed her curiosity to peak, "What makes navigating the Fualitc ship so easy?"

Gilbert reached out and pressed a hand to the metallic wall. "Fualitc ship… squishy? - Alive. Never lost. Part of Fualitcs."

"Your ship is alive?" Peggy asked, her eyebrows skyrocketing.

"Just like me." Gilbert placed their other hand on their chest; the first hand still touching the wall. Gilbert looked between the two hands, their shoulders deflating slightly. "Your ship - dead?"

"It's not dead. It's just, not alive?" Peggy shrugged, "We don't really fly around in living creatures? Or corpses? Everything is made from the Earth."

"Your planet." Gilbert nodded.

Peggy laughed, "Not  _my_  planet. But, yeah."

"Not my planet?"

"I'm from the moon, remember?"

Gilbert nodded. Their gaze drifted around Peggy's room before slowly landing on her desk. "Question."

"Answer." Peggy grinned.

"What that is?"

Peggy looked over to where they gestured. "Oh, my make-up? I was almost done. Do you want to, look at it?"

Gilbert slowly approached, almost hesitant, "Danger?"

"No, it's not dangerous." Peggy held up her lipstick again, "This goes on your lips. This is for your eyes. Your cheeks. Your eyebrows…"

Gilbert squinted, pursuing their lips. "Purpose?"

Peggy thought for a second, "Humans wear make-up to look pretty. And to feel good about themselves."

"No gender?"

"Themselves in this case means lots of humans. But also, yes? Make-up isn't for just one gender. Thomas often wears make-up. Actually, almost all of the Moon population wears make-up. Sometimes I let John borrow my mascara. He has  _such_  long eyelashes." Peggy paused and looked up at Gilbert's blank expression. "I wasn't sure what you were questioning, so I answered all of it."

"Thank you." Gilbert replied, looking back at the make-up. "Question, again."

"I have many answers." Peggy chuckled, smoothing her uniform gently.

"What pretty?"

"I'm pretty!" Peggy giggled.

"You're Peggy?"

"Pretty Peggy." Peggy placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. She laughed at herself and gestured for Gilbert to come closer, "Here, I'll show you what pretty is. I'll put some make-up on you. See if you like it."

Gilbert nodded mutely and looked around. "One chair."

Peggy glanced around the room as well. "Yeah, rationing and all that. I gave my other chairs to some Martians. Can you believe they gave me  _four chairs_  and didn't give the Martians  _any_? I can't imagine what the Earthlings got." Peggy went to stand up, "Well, you can sit here and I'll-"

Peggy turned to look at Gilbert, only to find the alien wasn't there anymore.

"I am ready." A voice said from below.

Peggy looked down to find a very short Gilbert staring back at her; completely straightfaced. Peggy sweaked.

"YOU'R SO LITTLE?!" She said, awkwardly reaching out to pat Gilbert's head. The creature only nudged their head up and headbutted her hand gently.

"So you can sit." Gilbert said. Peggy mumbled an 'okay' and sat back down. They were the perfect height for her now. She didn't have to bend down or lean up or anything. They were completely eye-level.

Peggy took a moment to observe the individual. Their body was exactly the same as before: an identical replica to Thomas' body, only now with a ponytail. But now it was smaller. Not younger; just little. The sight was certainly something. The alien didn't appear all that threatening anymore; now that Peggy was easily twice their height.

Gilbert waited patiently, undisturbed by Peggy's staring. Eventually, the girl turned to her make-up and assessed her options. "Okay, let's see…"

Gilbert sat quietly, unmoving, as Peggy applied the foundation, blush, and mascara. They didn't say anything as Peggy traced their eyebrows and lined their lips. They didn't blink when Peggy added eyeliner. Gilbert was a very patient individual as Peggy messed with their contour.

"Okay," Peggy said, wiping her brow, "I think that's all…"

Gilbert waited as Peggy grabbed the mirror and showed it to them. Gilbert was watching Peggy, not looking at their reflection.

"Well, tell me what you think!" Peggy said, nodding down at the mirror. Slowly, Gilbert's gaze flicked down to their reflection.

The reaction was immideate. Gilbert gasped loudly and childishly snatched the mirror from Peggy's hands. Their free hand came up to touch thier face, thier eyes wide and thier mouth hanging open slightly.

Gilbert looked up at Peggy, hands shaking slightly, "I- I transform?"

"No, you didn't shapeshift. I mean, you're short now. But the rest of it - that was all me." Peggy grinned. She was  _quite_  the beauty expert. And she had to admit, she outdid herself with this one.

"How- human magic?"

"Well, yeah, kinda." Peggy snorted. "I guess."

Gilbert reached forward and shook Peggy gently, "No one inform Gilbert?"

Peggy was going to reply, but her door opened then. A head poked in saying, "Margarita, I'm going to need y-"

"Oh." Peggy grinned, a bit breathless, "Hi, Thomas."

Peggy doesn't know what was going through Thomas' mind at the sight of a very short version of himself, covered in make-up, clutching a mirror, and hanging off of Peggy, but his expression was one of pure gold. Gilbert nodded to Thomas, business-like, "Enthuiastic greeting."

Thomas closed his mouth with a clack, his gaze darkening. He glanced over to Peggy, "I have some advice for you, Margarita. Be careful with this one. They'll do what it takes to survive."

Peggy frowned, thinking for a second. "Well, yeah? Wouldn't everyone?"

Thomas huffed and left, the door sliding shut behind him.

Peggy shrugged and shot Gilbert an amused look; who was now focused on their reflection again.

* * *

"You don't think he's actually going to starve, do you?" John asked. They were laying in Hercules' bed, John curled up against the other man's chest, trying to seek comfort in the warmth. They lay in the dark, listening to the constant sounds of machinery that comes with being on a spaceship.

Hercules brushed a hand up and down John's back, speaking quietly, "No, of course not. Alex is too stubborn to die from hunger. He's from Earth."

"You're right..." John sighed. He squirmed and sighed again, growing restless with anxious worry.

"Shh, just - try to get some sleep. We'll go to the Captain in the morning and ask to send Alexander a message. We'll get to talk to him and everything will be fine." Hercules pressed a kiss to John's forehead and held him closer.

"Okay."

Neither of them really got much sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

"You seem eager today." Hamilton teased as he was quickly ushered into the other man's private quarters. The man scoffed, but didn't argue. Alex grinned and started to undo the buttons of his raggy uniform. As he did so, he glanced around the other man's spacious room. His fingers froze when he took in the scenery.

In front of the large window, which was currently portraying a beautiful view of Uranus, there was a table. Alex abandoned his task of stripping in order to get a better look. Slowly, he approached the table; observing the soft cloth that was thrown over it. The lights in the room were low, leaving the only source of light coming from small holograms strategically placed around the room. Candles probably would've been better, but they're a fire hazard and are banned on all regulated spacecraft. In the middle of the table was a little vase, with a singular flower in it.

Alex picked up the flower and turned to the other man, "A dandelion?"

The man shuffled awkwardly, "It's an - Earth flower."

Alex snorted, dropping the weed back into the vase. "Sure."

The man scrambled forward, pulling out one of the chairs and gesturing for Alex to sit. Regarding him carefully, Alexander slowly took his seat, allowing the other man to push it in for him. Alex twisted around to look at him in the eyes, "What are you-"

"I-I made dinner!" He said, disappearing into the kitchen. Alex watched as he came back with two plates full of food. "It's a, um, Moon recipe that my ma taught me."

Alex didn't say anything as the plate was put in front of him. There was a little bowl in the center of the plate, with some bread and fruit carefully surrounding it. The food, which appeared to be some sort of broth, smelled  _delicious_. Believe it or not, Hamilton knew when to shut up. He raised an eyebrow at the other man, but didn't say a word. Instead, he picked up a spoon and delicately scooped up a small taste. When he looked up, the other man was watching him intently.

Swallowing, Alex smiled, "It's very good."

He relaxed and allowed himself a spoonful of his own. He spoke quietly as he said, "You seemed hungry lately."

"I'm always hungry." Alex replied easily, taking in another mouthful, "Nothing new."

"Yeah, but," The man paused, glancing at Uranus hesitantly, "You've been giving away your rationings."

It was Alex's turn to squirm, "You noticed?"

"I notice everything about you." The man smiled shyly.

Alex looked away. "Yeah, I gave my food to the other Earthlings. So?"

"So, you're not on Earth anymore. You don't have to struggle." The man said. He sent down his spoon to gesture as he spoke, "I can give you food, I can give you hot showers, and a place to sleep; anything you need, I will-" He cut himself off suddenly, looking away. Alex got the feeling that he said more than he wanted to, without even saying much at all.

No one has ever expressed this kind of care, this kind of concern for Alexander before. The thought kind of terrified him. Alex's heart stumbled in his chest, "We're just … fucking." The other man flinched slightly, Alex continued, his quiet voice too loud in the empty room. "You don't have to do any of this. You're right, I'm not on Earth anymore. But I'm not struggling, either. This, the few things they give me, is more than enough. I appreciate the showers, you know I do, but - I don't need your charity."

"It's not charity!" The man immediately said. He reached out, taking Alexander's hand in his own, "I'm not doing any of this out of pity. You've seen how I treat the other Earthlings. I don't care about - it has nothing to do with that."

Hamilton almost wanted to start a fight; to call out his racist ass. ' _Yeah, I'm horrible to everyone else from your planet, but not_ you _! You're great at giving head!'_  It would be so easy to fall into that normal banter. They could ignore this strange tension in the room; turn the lights back on and keep eating as if they were in the cafeteria. Maybe afterwards they could do what Alex thought they were going to do. Things could go back to normal. But the look that the other man was giving him was too much to ignore.

Alexander slowly lowered his spoon, "...Why are you doing this? Why are you being so  _nice_  to me lately?"

The man squirmed in his seat, a light blush spreading across his cheeks. Alex held his breath as the other man opened his mouth to speak.

"Holy hell!" The door suddenly slams open, making both of the men in the room jump. "You will  _not_  believe who just beat me for the position of the Immigrant!"

Both men silently stared at none other than Second Officer Aaron Burr. Aaron's gaze flicked between the two of them before he regained his composure. "Mr. Hamilton, my apologies, I didn't realize you were here."

Alex waved it off and then said, grinning, "Well, fill us in. Who's the new Immigrant?"

It took a mighty amount of self-control for Aaron to not scowl as he said, "I'm sure you can guess. I hear you were quite persuasive with the Captain."

This had Alexander standing up, grinning excitedly, "Yeah, but, it's like, official now!?" He bounced on his feet as he awaited a response.

Burr hesitated, "The Captain will be confirming it this evening at dinner."

Alex squealed and engulfed Burr in a giant hug. "Oh my god! I'm going to be the Immigrant! This is the greatest thing to ever happen to me!"

Burr awkwardly clapped his back. "Yes. I'm very … excited for you."

"Better next luck time, Burr!" Alex grinned, patting his cheek. Aaron let himself to scowl then. But Alex didn't care, he spun Burr around and headed towards the door, "I have to go get the paperwork and my new uniform! And tell everyone, obviously! And pack my stuff! And prepare my-" He was still talking as the door slid shut behind him and he disappeared.

The dark room was filled with silence as Burr turned to look at the other man. He sighed as he sat down across the table from him, in Alex's abandoned spot. "I apologize for ruining your evening."

"I think it was ruined the moment I tried to make it romantic." The man muttered, resting his chin in his hand. "Hamilton just isn't interested in more than a quick fuck, it seems."

Burr looked out at Uranus, "More likely, he's too blind to see your intent. I don't think he realizes what you were trying to do."

"Wishful thinking. I made it pretty freaking obvious." The man grumbled, pushing his bowl away. He wasn't hungry anymore. "And now he's going off on some space trip, where he'll probably die or be sold into alien slavery."

Burr hummed noncommittally. The two sat in silence, each moping over their bad luck. Eventually, Aaron looked away from the planet and glanced at the romantic table setting. His brows lowered in confusion.

"Why is there a dandelion in a cup?" Aaron asked.

"It's an Earth flower."

"...No."

"No?"

"This is a weed. Earthlings hate them."

"Are you serious!? Do you know how much this cost me to ship up here!?"

Aaron Burr cracked a smile, shaking his head good-naturedly.

"What are we going to do with you, Thomas Jefferson?"

* * *

"Remember, a few years ago, when the Moon tried to declare war on the Earth because they lost the Olympics?" John said, forcing a smile. Hercules could see through it; the boy was obviously nervous as hell.

But he accepted the distraction and nudged Eliza. "What was the excuse your people gave? Why was it you lost again?"

The girl chuckled, "My queen said that it was unfair to host the Olympics on Earth, because our athletes were not used to the enhanced gravity. So they performed worse."

"Yeah, but you guys also lost the race to Pluto and back." John said, "What was your queen's excuse for that one?"

Eliza thought for a second, "I think she claimed Earth of cheating? Using illegal fuel?"

Hercules grinned, "As if Earth could afford illegal fuel."

"It was the first time Earth won in  _decades_." John said, "One for the history holograms."

"My queen was so ashamed." Eliza hid her face in her hands, "She declared war on Earth."

John cackled, "And Earthian Council agreed to fight! They were ready to go to war against the queen of the Moon!"

"And then the president of Mars had to step in and calm everything down." Herc remembered, shaking his head, "They were so  _pissed_. I didn't think anyone  _in the world_  could shout at the Moon Queen and Earthian Council and get away with it."

"That's our prez for ya." John grinned. The two high-fived, while Eliza rolled her eyes. "I wish I was in that room when it happened."

They were quiet for a moment, walking through the hallways of the ship; headed towards the Command Center. Everyone was on edge with nervous energy at hoping to talk to Alex; to see if he's okay.

Eliza broke the silence. "Why is that a saying?"

"Hm?" Herc looked over to the girl, "What saying?"

"Anyone in the world." Eliza waved her hand as she said, "Or just 'in the world'. Shouldn't it be 'in the worlds'?"

"Or 'in the worlds, plus the Moon'." John grinned, winking at the Moonie.

"What qualifies a world? Is the Moon a world?" Eliza frowned, "It's not a planet."

"Can it be a world, but not be a planet?" John asked, looking past Hercules to watch Eliza.

"Well, it depends on what language you're speaking in." Eliza started slowly, "We're using Martian, so the word 'world' means something like 'a safe space'. But if you switch to Moonie, then it means -"

"'A breathable landscape', right?" John said, "So, in Moonie, the Enterprise could be a world. Because we're able to breathe in it. Right?"

"Yes, exactly! So, I suppose in your language, my home could be a world, but in mine, it's not. Unless you're indoors." Eliza said, "But then with all of Earth's languages it's-"

Herc groaned, "Oh my God, guys, shut up. No wonder Alex loves you two. It's just 'in the world' because in the ancient times there was only Earth and no one bothered to change it."

John and Eliza snickered, grinning at each other. They finished their walk in silence. When they approach the guards, Eliza takes out her ID. It might be the main reason why John and Herc invited her. She, as a Moonie, has higher access and will be more likely to be let into the Command Center, as apposed to two loud-mouthed Martains. Eliza working directly under Thomas Jefferson helps as well. She could always claim she was running an errand and no one could deny it.

But the guards pushed their guns in her way, shaking their heads.

"Sorry, Miss Schuyler. The Captain requested no one enter right now."

Eliza put her hands on her hips, "Is his wife visiting?"

"Um, no?" One guard said.

"Then he has the time to see me." Eliza tipped her chin up in challenge. John held back an excited woot.

"Ma'am, I really don't think-"

"Yes, it seems you don't." Eliza said, pushing her way past the guards. Herc followed immediately, holding the door open for them. John stuck out his tongue. "Sir!"

The Captain looked up and sighed deeply. The guards ran in and stood at attention, blocking the group from entering any further. Thomas Jefferson was leaning against the Captain's chair, eyebrow raised.

"We're sorry, sir. She's a Schuyler, it's hard to tell her no." One guard said.

The Captain threw his hands up in the air, "What good are you two!? What is your job!?"

"To… not let people into the Command Center?" One said slowly.

"And what do you keep doing!?" The Captain stood up then, slowly approaching the guards.

"Letting people into the Command Center…" The other almost pouted.

The Captain just stared down at them, his arms crossed. He didn't even have to inform them that they were dismissed. The guards very awkwardly shuffled out of the room, their guns trailing after them. The door slid shut, leaving the small group to deal with the Captain.

The Captain turned to Jefferson, "Make note for me to deal with them later." Then, to the group, "What can I do for you, Miss Schuyler?"

"I would like to request an oral visitation with one Alexander Hamilton at the earliest convenience." Eliza spoke with the eloquence that only a Moonie could master. The Captain, instead of replying instantly, turned to Thomas Jefferson.

The two appeared to share a silent conversation, glancing at one another with raised eyebrows. Finally, Thomas shrugged and hung his head, leaving the Captain to turn back to the group.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that at this moment." The Captain said, his hands clasped behind his back.

"And why not?" Eliza asked, then belatedly added, "Sir."

The Captain hesitated. "...We may have run into some unforeseen difficulties."

"In which ways?"

The Captain avoided answering by looking to the two men behind Eliza, "Are you Alexander's friends?"  
John and Herc stood at attention. They were such good little soldiers. While Eliza was not afraid to question the good Captain's authority, these two knew their place. Not only that, they held high respect for their leader.

"Yes, sir." John said.

"We were the first he met after entering space, sir." Hercules added.

John dared to look the Captain in the eye as he spoke, "He is very dear to us, sir. We simply wish to speak with him, sir."

Thomas made a small noise from across the room, earning a glance or two from the group. He was staring down at his hands, listening intently to the conversation while trying to appear as though he's not. His expression was pained, though, as he listened to John speak.

The Captain sighed and strolled back to his desk. He sat down in his chair and rested his head in his hands as he spoke slowly. "I do not wish to lie to you. How could a crew trust a captain that withholds information?"

"Sometimes ignorance is bliss, sir." Thomas spoke, not looking up. "If I were you -"

"Yes, I'm well aware, Chief Jefferson." The Captain cut him off. "But… I can't in my good conscious lie to these people."

"Sir-" Thomas tried again, but was silenced by just a raised hand.

Eliza and John took Herc's hands. Fear was quickly growing in their chests.

"Good sir…" Eliza's voice shook slightly, "Please, what is it? What have you yet to tell us?"

The Captain stood up and approached the young girl. He put a hand on her shoulder and spoke with a very sad tone. He looked into her eyes until she refused to watch him anymore.

Closing her eyes, she could feel tears flow down her face as she shouted.

* * *

"No, it can be!" Alex whispered, his body shaking as he stared down the hallway. There, at the corner, standing there was none other than, "John!?"

Alex took a shaky step forward, then another, and another. Until he was running towards his friend. His heart was pounding, elated to see another human being. He grinned as his eyes grew watery with emotion. Just as he was about to reach the other man, he turned the corner and walked out of sight. Alex skidded to a stop, looking down the hall that his friend just walked down. His smile fell instantly.

John was nowhere to be seen.

Alex stood there, breathing hard, his mind racing. Where did he go? This is a long hallway, he can't run so fast that he would disappear without Alex seeing where he went. There were no doors either, so he didn't duck into one of the rooms. Where was his friend? Where was John Laurens?

Why did he abandon him?

No. Alex shook his head, scowling at himself. No, John wasn't here. He couldn't be. They were on the other side of the universe. His friend was back at home. He's just imagining things.

"Your mind is playing tricks on you, Hammie." Alexander muttered to himself, as his hands scratched at his scalp.

That was perhaps a scarier thought than a disappearing human.

Alexander's mind is everything to him. It was the only thing that kept him strong during his life on Earth. He took great pride in his wicked mind; he believed his logic and reasoning could out-match anything life threw at him. But now the mind he loved so much was turning against him.

Throughout the rest of the upcoming days, Alexander would see his friends, out of the corner of his eye. They would be standing there, watching. One second he would catch a glimpse of them; the next they were gone. The worst was when he could  _hear_  them. When they  _spoke_  to him.

"Come on, Hammy, you can do better than that."

"Where's that Hamilton spirit?"

"No, you shouldn't eat that. That's  _slave_  food."

"Are you being serious right now? You're that stupid?"

"That question was already answered, dumbass."

Alexander couldn't even find peace in his writing. When he settled down to work on his report, they were still there. Not just anyone - one specific person. He only ever showed up when Alex thought he had a moment of peace. He hardly ever spoke. Instead, he would simply on Alex's bed, in front of him. There - but just out of touch. A mockery, a painful tease of what once was.

"Oh, puppet. You're dying out here, aren't you?" Jefferson would sneer though the hologram. His voice would always sound hollow. All of them did. "I can't help you now. You're all alone."

These were not his friends. Not the people he loved. He had to keep reminding himself that. Every time he blinked, one of them was there, haunting him. With shaking hands, he added to his report.

_The isolation from my own race terrifies me. With each passing day I grow more and more deranged. The people of my home - my friends, my love - plague my waking moments. Sleep evades me - I fear I am losing my mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

"Your Moonie has gotten significantly better since you joined us." Angelica said kindly. Despite everything that had gone down, she was still polite to their Immigrant. Her father taught her well and she knew that none of this was their fault.

"Thank you, kindly." Gilbert smiled.

"You've also been making more facial expressions." Angelica nodded, "Pretty soon, no one will even know you're an alien."

Gilbert chuckled softly, "This pleases me. Your culture was harder to adapt to than others."

"In what ways?" Angelica asked. They were walking to her room. Gilbert had offered to escort her, since it was on the way to their temporary quarters.

The alien thought for a moment, "Humanity … complex." They cleared their throat, trying again, "You are creatures that are easy to kill. The more I learn about your requirements; food, water, sleep, air, companionship… It is a lot, isn't it?"

Angelica hesitated, "I guess? But a lot of animals from Earth need these things. It's what everything needs to live."

Gilbert shook their head, "Not everything. Just everything you know."

"For humans, that's the same thing." Angelica smiled. She stopped outside her door, "Thank you for chatting with me."

"Can I ask you the question?" Gilbert asked before the Moonie could duck into her room. The alien squinted and then corrected themself, " _a_  question?"

Angelica brushed a free strand of hair away, "I suppose."

Gilbert hesitated, thinking through what they wanted to say. Their hands grasped at the air, a nervous tick that Thomas has, "You are … strange."

"Gee, thanks." Angelica deadpanned.

The Immigrant quickly continued, "Your species. I understand most things. But there is one concept that has confused me."

"Okay." Angelica raised an eyebrow, "And what was that?"

"Why do you have  _friends_? Companionship? Why necessary?" Gilbert asked, their expression pained.

Angelica tilted her head, thinking, "Friendship is just something that we need. Humans are pack animals. We're very social creatures that  _require_  a sense of belonging. Otherwise we get lonely or depressed."

"These words have no meaning to me." Gilbert said, frowning. "What is 'lonely' and 'depressed'? Why do humans have so many emotions?"

Angelica sighed, "Well, I don't know… Lonely is when you feel alone? And then depressed can either mean 'really freakin sad' or a kind of mental illness that can be kinda dangerous…"

"Sick?" Gilbert asked.

"Kinda. But, a mental kind of sick." Angelica tapped her temple.

Gilbert jumped away, "Your mind grows ill?!"

Angelica laughed, "Yeah. Now, if you don't mind, I've had a long day. And I need to think about some things."

Gilbert nodded and waved awkwardly, "Of course. Humans and their thoughts."

"Right." Angelica watched as the alien walked down the hall. Her heart grew heavy as she recounted what Eliza had told her between tears.

' _They lost all communication with Alexander!'_

With a sigh, she slid into her room, allowing herself the privacy to fall apart.

* * *

"This is a terrible idea."

"Shut up." Alex grumbled as he rummaged through his bag. When he found what he was looking for, he jumped up and stumbled out of his room. His head felt dizzy at the sudden movements. His stomach churned at the emptiness of it. He really should eat something. But the thought of doing so made him feel nauseous.

He didn't look in the direction of the voice. He refused to look at them anymore. They weren't his friends. This wasn't his Thomas. He didn't want to be a part of this. If he ignored them, maybe they'd go away.

"Like, a really dumb idea."

"Shut  _up_." Alex hissed, his hands coming up to claw at his scalp. "You're not here, stop doing this!"

"Would a marker even work on them? They're like, jell-o. You can't color jell-o."

"Shut up shut up shut up shut up!" Alex's legs buckled from under him and he fell to his knees, his head in his hands. He could feel the bolts of panic ripping through him as he couldn't catch his breath. He shut his eyes tightly and just stayed there, on the floor, curled into a ball, until the voice of his love disappeared.

He can't escape these images. They don't bring him any relief or comfort. They're ghosts, stalking his every move. He needs something tangible. He needs something  _real_. None of this is real - is he even real? Did he ever leave Earth?

"What is happening to me?" Alex whispered in a pained, shaky breath.

"You on floor." A mildly robotic voice said.

Alex looked up, barely unfurling from his ball. "Oh. H-hello."

Big the Fualtic stood over him, watching him carefully. "You do the sleep?"

"No, no, I'm not… I- um," Alex cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. "I'm just-"

"Human thing." The Fualtic said and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Alex scrambled to his feet, swaying on them as he did so. His heart sunk like a stone at the feeling. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and hide for the rest of this trip. But no, that would be giving up. He had to put in a fight first. Alex approached the Fualtic, his eyes a bit distant as he said, "I have, um, an idea."

The Fualitc waited for him to speak again, but Alex only uncapped his marker and stood on his tippy-toes. While holding his breath, he drew a very crude face on the creature. Surprisingly, the marker stuck to it, making it possible to write on the alien skin.

Alex took a step away and looked at his work.

A very stupid looking smiley face looked back at him.

He wasn't satisfied, but it was better than staring at expressionless, emotionless beings. He belatedly realized this was probably offensive. But he couldn't find it in himself to care.

"Can I do this to the others as well?" Alex asked, his voice a bit hollow. "It might help…"

Big nodded, the little face moving up and down, "What do?"

"I gave you a face." Alex said, following Big through the white hallway.  
"Like."

"Thank."

Alexander spent the next hour or so drawing two hundred faces on all the Fualitcs on the ship. He worked until each alien had their own, individual face. He work was sloppy, but that was because his hands were shaking so much. He looked around at what he had done. He somehow made this worse on himself. Because now, instead of hundreds of expressionless blobs possibly looking at him, there were four hundred unblinking, blank eyes turned towards him.

They're not right. This isn't right. None of this is good enough.  _He's_  not good enough. What kind of reporter is he?

His cry surprised even him. As a deep wail tore itself out of his throat and he broke down in front of hundreds of uncaring faces.

"You wanted this." A voice in his head spoke. He couldn't even identify which friend it was supposed to be. He vaguely wondered if he even remembered what his friends look like, "You asked for this."

"Shut up!" Alex sobs, "Shuup shut up shuttup!"

Alexander's eyes were unseeing. He doesn't know what happens next.

All he knows is that he's dying.

* * *

Even if the Fualitcs didn't understand emotion, they did understand that there was something wrong with the human when it crashed to the ground. The Fualitcs all looked to each other, surrounding the shaking creature.

_Hurt? It hurt?_

_No, no red human juice._

_What say?_

_Shut up - definition?_

_No talk._

_No talk._

_No talk._

Silently, only communicating through their telepathic link, the Fualitcs picked up the tiny, fragile animal. It squeaked and screamed at being touched. It thrashed in their arms. Human juice fell out of its sight holes.

_Fix sight holes?_

_Broken?_

_Leaking._

_Fix sight holes!_

The largest Fualitc set the human down on its sleeping spot. The creature immediately curled up on itself. It was vibrating, which only concerned the Fualtics a little. They vibrate naturally, there's nothing wrong with that.

_Need to fix sight holes._

_Hold down._

Two other Fualitcs forced the creature to unfurl. They pinned down its frantic, flailing limbs. The human kept squeaking, switching between loud shrieks and small whimpers. The biggest Fualitc asked the ship for some bandages. They appeared on the sleeping spot next to the human.

The Faultic picked it up and then looked over to the others.

_How use?_

The others let go of the human to examine the bandages. Human tool. Very strange.

The human's primary grabbers immediately clung to its brain holder. It squeaked again in pain when the primary grabbers dug into the skin there.

One of the Fualtics pointed this out.

_Civil war._

They quickly retook the human's limbs and held them down again. Why was the human hurting itself?

_Possessed?_

The biggest Fualtic figured out how to peel back the bandages. It took multiple tries. Fualitc primary grabbers are not as versatile as human ones. No little grabbers. On the bandages, one side was sticky. This could be helpful.

The other Fualitcs understood and scooted over to give them room to work. They wrapped layer after layer of bandages around the human's primary grabbers until they were rounded and white, like a Fualtic's.

Then, they used the sticky bandages to trap the squirming creature's limbs to its sleeping spot. The human screeched and tried to resist. It pushed off the sleeping spot, but its walking sticks fell out from under it. It was too tired to fight itself. The Fualtics added the bandages around the human's middle as well. Just in case. Safety important.

It was perfectly strapped to the sleeping spot now, with rounded primary grabbers. It could not hurt itself now. Begone possession!

_Sight holes still leaking_.

The Fualtic looked down at its bandages and then the sight holes. Those were the problem. They were the only broken part of the human. If the sight holes stop leaking, the human will stop squeaking.

One of the Fualtics kept its brain holder still as the other wrapped the bandages around the sight holes. The human stopped screeching, instead whimpering helplessly. It tried to thrash, but couldn't move. The human's middle rose and fell rapidly. It get lots of air. Good! Important for human health.

The Fuatlics could tell the sight holes were darting rapidly around from under the bandages. One of the Fualitcs patted the brain holder, which only made the creature flinch violently and whimper. What could still be wrong? They fixed the sight holes. There no more leaking.

What did humans need to be alive? The sleep spot. The room of bath. The air. The water...

_Need the food?_

One of the Fualitcs placed a box of food on the human's chest. Yes, that's what was needed. Satisfied, they left the human in its room to do the sleep.

_It be okay now._

* * *

Jefferson throws the alien against the wall. Gilbert's expression is one of pure terror. It's one he's seen in the mirror multiple times. The thought only makes himself sicker. This creature - this  _alien_ has his face, his memories, his emotions, and they have the audacity to look surprised?

"Thomas, you don't want to do this, man." Their voice is Thomas' own again. It has his southern drawl, his inflections, his whispered pain.

Thomas growls and pushes against the alien harder. He was following them as they talked with Angelica, and now that they were alone, he was going to get his fucking way. "Shut up. You don't know what I want."

"I know you don't want to hurt yourself." Gilbert said, their hands gripping Thomas' wrists.

Thomas jostles the alien, snarling, "You are  _not_  me! But I got news for you, you slimy pile of cum. I'm second in command on this ship. The Captain doesn't think we can do anything about our little situation. But  _you_  know different, don't you?"

Gilbert didn't reply. Instead, their face contorted into one of confusion, "What's a cum?"

Thomas slammed the alien against the wall again, " _Don't you_!?"

The alien quickly replied, "I do not know where my ship is, nor if your friend has survived it! I am sorry! But my communication has been cut off as well!"

"Don't lie to me!" Thomas shouted, his eyes wild.

"I'm  _not!_  I do not know what you want from me! I cannot provide! I-" Gilbert stopped talking when they realized that Thomas was crying now. The human's grip tightened on them as he quietly sobbed.

"I just need him to be safe." Thomas whispered, "I just need him…"

Gilbert looked away before speaking seriously, "My kind will not hurt him."

Thomas glanced at them, unsure.

"I spoke earlier, saying that it would be unlikely for my people to get your lover the food? That is the untrue… My kind will take care of the human as best as they can. They probably went to get the food needed. Alexander probably has not starved." Gilbert hesitated, biting their lip, "Probably."

Relief washed over Thomas for a second, but it was quickly dampened by anger. He bared his teeth as he hissed, "Then why did you  _tell_  us he'd starve?"

"It is a possibility." Gilbert blinked, attempting to shrug, but failing under Thomas' weight. "I spoke the truth of the time. But I have reconsidered. Also, I am here to record how humans react to all situations. Including under deep fear for a lover. I needed to know what you would feel."

Thomas was severely holding back the urge to punch the fucker. "And spreading mass paranoia is the best way to do that?!"

"I thought so, yes." Gilbert replied, unaware of the fury in Thomas' eyes. "What I am trying to speak -  _say_. Is that I don't know. I do not know if my kind got Alexander Hamilton the food. I do not know if he has lived or died. But I do know that we do not wish war. If it comes to it, my kind would rather send back a sick human than a dead one."

Thomas leaned in close to the other, spitting on them as he snarled, "So bring. Him. Back."

* * *

Alexander couldn't move. He couldn't think. All he could see was a grey-ish white of medical bandages. He wanted to cry out but no one was there - no one was ever there. He wasn't going to survive this, was he?

No. Because he didn't deserve to survive this. There's a reason he didn't eat any of the food they bought him. There's a reason he was losing his mind. His chest felt like a thousand pounds were pushing down on him. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't-

Everything stops suddenly. His muscles give out from being tense for so long. His eyes flutter shut as his mind grows even foggier. He hasn't eaten in so long. He hasn't gotten a good night's sleep in even longer. He couldn't even hear the haunting of his mind-friends anymore.

He was truly and utterly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Large hands gently brushed back Alexander's hair as the water sprayed around them. Alex sighed, tipping his head back to allow the other man to press a soft kiss against his neck. Sometimes they were like this. Sometimes they moved slow, and just let one moment flow into another. It wasn't always a harsh rush to the finish. Sometimes it was almost loving.

Alex sucked in a breath at the intimacy of it. It always brought a blush to his face worse than any of the dirty words or kinky undertones. A part of him wanted this. The soft way that a strong hand would hold him close; pull him closer. The warm, solid presence of another person's skin against his. It brought forth the feeling of safety that he could never acquire on Earth. When a pair of arms wrapped around him and squeezed them together, a sense of calm washed over him.

"Thomas…" Alex whispered. They never spoke at a normal volume when they were like this. If they were biting and scratching, then they'd speak normally, possibly even yell. But when their hands hesitated, sensing the electricity in the air, their voices fell to quiet mumbles.

"Hmm, yes, puppet?" Thomas sighed, his hands running down Alexander's arms. His curls were heavy with water and the sight of it made Alexander's toes curl.

Alex tipped his chin up to press a kiss to Thomas' lips. The man hungrily met him halfway; his hands tightening around Alexander's waist. Alex moaned into his mouth, only to pull back once he remembered why he asked to see Thomas. It wasn't for sex, nor a hot shower, although, those were some damn good bonuses. He actually needed something from him. Information.

"What can you tell me about the Immigrant Program?" Alex asked, his lips brushing against Thomas'.

"It's what's giving me a paycheck. It's the Enterprise's newest mission. It's why James and I did recruitment work on Earth. And it's currently classified information." Thomas said, his mouth trailing across Alexander's jaw. Alex whimpered when Thomas nipped at the soft part between his jaw and his ear. "Why?"

Alex's hand found the back of Thomas' head, gently guiding him, "Ah, I want to apply for it."

Thomas tensed suddenly, his warm embrace rapidly growing cold. "What?"

Alex looked at him as he pulled away, his gaze worried. "I want to apply for the Immigrant Program."

"No." Thomas shook his head. His expression returned to the warm gaze as he slid his hands across Alex's hips, "Just forget about that, okay?"

Alex took a step back, his back bumping into the shower wall. "What do you mean 'no'? Why not?"

Thomas dropped his loving pretense. The mood was broken. He ran a hand through his hair, "A mysterious alien species contacts the human race out of nowhere and they want to take some people far into space? That doesn't sound the least bit sketchy to you?"

"I trust them." Alexander said, crossing his arms.

"Then you're an idiot." Thomas said, placing his hands on his hips.

"I thought we already established that." Alex sneered, remembering the note Thomas made on his file back on Earth.

Thomas growled, "Hamilton, listen to me. This isn't a good idea. I've had this debate with the Captain multiple times. This sounds way too dangerous. Let someone else do it."

Alexander shook his head, "NO! I have to be a part of it!"

Thomas jumped at Alexander's shout. He scowled, "Oh, really? And why's that? So your name will go down in history? Alexander Hamilton - first man to die at the hands of our new alien overlords!"

Alex scoffed, "No, it's not about that!"

"Then what is it about?" Thomas rolled his eyes.

"The Immigrants will be allowed access to the Moon Kingdom. Is this true?" Alexander said, glaring up at Thomas through the spray of water.

Thomas hesitated, he considered lying, but Alexander is a smart man. He'd be found out. So he simply nodded instead.

"Then that's enough reason to do it, regardless of the risk!" Alexander declared, sounding awfully confident.

Thomas sighed, shaking his head, "But I have already granted you access to Mars! The paperwork is done! You don't have to risk life and limb to go there! Once this mission is over, you're officially a Martian!"

Alex shook his head, "But why should I stop there? Why can't I keep climbing up the ladder until I have a comfortable life? Mars would be great, sure, but it's not good enough!"

"There are other ways to gain access to the moon!" Thomas hissed.

"Yeah? Like what?" Alexander challenged.

Access to the moon was the hardest achievement to get. Since the moon was so much smaller than Earth or Mars, they had strict population rules. Anyone who couldn't get access, or were kicked out, had to settle for Mars. But Alexander wasn't a settler. He had to at least  _try_  to move up in the world.

Thomas' cheeks brightened as he looked away and awkwardly said, "You could marry a Moonie."  
Alexander hadn't considered that. He thought for a moment, "Do you think Eliza would say yes if I proposed?"

The shorter man missed the absolutely crushed expression on Thomas' face. The Moonie quickly morphed his face into a sneer, "You can't even speak Moonie!"

"I can learn!" Alexander snapped.

"You'll be moving to a new land with a completely different class of people who have different values and morals!" Thomas said, listing off what he said on his fingers, "They won't understand your history, your culture, your language, or your beliefs! And! Earthlings almost  _never_  get access to the moon, so you'll be completely alone in a foreign land!"

Alexander shook his head, "Of  _course_  you wouldn't understand! You were born into the highest class! You've never struggled to survive! If you've been through what I have, you'd realize that freedom is worth it! The chance at having a good life is  _worth it_!"

Thomas sighed, he lowered his voice, adding a gentle touch to his tone. He stepped forward, reaching out for Alexander, as he spoke, "I'm not saying that you can't have a good life. I just don't think that the Immigrant Program is the way to do that! I can help you get access to the moon, I can-"

Alexander pushed Thomas then, and the taller man almost slipped on the wet floor. But he braced himself just in time to look at Alexander, who shouted, "I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!"

Thomas felt a sharp pain in his heart as tears filled in Alexander's furious eyes.

He kept screaming. "I'VE BEEN ON MY OWN FOR  _TEN YEARS_! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!" His voice shook as he continued, a bit quieter, "I don't need your charity - I can make it to the moon on my own - I know I can… S'il te plaît, maman... pardonne-moi… J'essaye - J'essaye…"

"...But you don't have to." Thomas whispered, slowly approaching the other man. "You don't  _have_  to be on your own anymore."

Alexander let himself be held by Thomas. He let himself have a moment of brokenness. Once he could breathe again, he stood up straight, breaking Thomas' hold. He stared into the other man's eyes as he said in the most serious voice he could muster, "I'm applying for the Immigrant Program. I will be chosen. I will get access to the moon because of it. And I don't care what your ignorant classist ass has to say about it."

Thomas only stared, unable to speak, as Alexander left him in the shower; grabbed his towel and walked right out without looking back.

The water had long since turned cold.

* * *

Alexander has no idea how much time had passed since the Fualtics left him. He doesn't even know how much of that time he spent awake. He felt himself in a fuzzy, distant mindspace; floating between sobriety and insanity. Voices filled his head and then abandoned him to silence. He tried to move multiple times, but his body would no longer obey him. If he was crying, he couldn't tell. If he was speaking, he wasn't sure. If he was breathing, it was an accident.

Just as Alexander was starting to give up all hope, he could hear the distinct  _swish_  of his door opening. He tried to squirm, but his body refused to cooperate. His throat was too sore to form any words, and even if he was healthy, he wasn't sure what he would even say.

"And where did you say you got this pet?" An unknown voice spoke. It wasn't as crackly as the Fualtic's translators, which told Alexander's mind that … that… it wasn't a Fualitc. Some other kind of alien, then. Words felt jumbled even in Alexander's head.

"Near home planet." A Fualitc said.

"How long ago did you get it?"

"Many days."

"Can I have a better time frame?"

A long pause, then; "In its species' time, almost two weeks."

"I see." The voice are moving closer to the bed now. "And what did you say was wrong with it?"

"No move. It do the sleep?"

"Hmm, well, let's look at it, shall we?" The new voice said.

Alexander yelped suddenly when a hand pressed down on his stomach.

"Oh, looks like it's still alive!" The new voice cheered. There was a soft applause that Alex thinks came from the Fualtics. "So if that is its mouth…"

The hand moved up and down Alexander's stomach. If he was in his right mind, he would've blushed at how he pressed up against the touch. No one has touched him in so long, and the Fualitcs are so painfully cold and gooey. There is no comfort with their touch. But this strange new alien's hand travels slowly, purposefully, and it sends shivers up and down Alexander's spine.

Another hand traced around Alexander's mouth, then trailed up to his nose.

"And this is its cavum nasale. The fact that it has one tells me a lot about its species. Is this it food?" The box that was sitting on Alexander's chest is lifted. Even though it was such a small weight; no more than five pounds, Alex feels like he can suddenly breathe again. He sucks in a greedy breath.

"Yes. But no eat. Wrong order?"

"Hmm, well, I don't know yet. Let's go ahead and untie it and see what it does." The alien said.

Alex whimpered as multiple hands, both solid and mushy, work on undoing his ties. They free him of all of his bandages except for the ones around his eyes. He's still blind to the world, then. It doesn't occur to him to undo his own ties. The fight has been drained out of him during his solitude. He wonders what he did to deserve such a torture.

"Hello little alien. I am Ryvnku. I am a Huubnus. What are you?" The new alien spoke in a slow voice, like he was talking to a child.

Alex whined again, unable to form any words.

"Speaker broken?" The Fualtics asked.

"Possibly." Ryvnku didn't sound so sure. Instead, it poked a finger into Alex's mouth, prying his jaw open gently. Alex gagged, surprised by the sudden invasion. "I believe this creature is very similar to an Indefinite Sovereign. Does it speak?"

"Yes. Alexander Hamilton can speak." A Fualtic said.

"Lovely. Go ahead, little one. Speak to me." A hand nudged his cheek. Alex wanted to scowl, but he couldn't find the energy to do so.

"Alexander Hamilton? Do the speak."

Alex stayed silent.

He wanted to talk. But he didn't know if he could. There wasn't much a point in trying.

Alex couldn't even pick up his own head as his body was pulled into a sitting position. A Fualtic hand cushioned his neck, making him more relaxed.

"It's alright if you can't speak right now. Do you understand me?"

Alex sat there. He blinked behind his blindfold, feeling his eyelashes brush against the bandages. There was a soft clicking noise of disappointment.

"Here, can you move your fingers? Tap my hand once for yes, twice for no." The alien said, placing his hand under Alexander's. If Alex was in his right state of mind, he would point out that if he couldn't move his fingers, how was he supposed to tap twice for no? But he wasn't. So instead, he tried vigorously to tap his finger once. He felt his pinkie rise and fall with a soft 'tap' against a warm hand.

"Very good!"

Alex warmed under the praise. He slowly tilted his head in the direction of the voice, awaiting the next task.

"Now, does anything hurt?"

Alex's pinkie rose and fell again.

"Okay, what hurts?"

Everything. Literally every part of his body hurt in some way, shape, or form. His toes ached from being curled for so long, his thighs were sore where the bandages were holding him down, his dick itched from where he had pissed himself, his stomach screamed for food, his heart was cracked beyond repair, his arms were tired, his eyes were drained, and his head was pounding. Alex was a mess in the worst possible way.

Alex let out the most pitiful whine in response.

"Is it your legs?"

Tap.

"Is that all?"

Tap. Tap.

"Oh, there's more?"

Tap.

"Your torso?"

Tap.

"And your arms?"

Tap.

"Your chest?"

Tap.

"Your head?"

Tap.

"Is there any part of you that  _doesn't_  hurt?"

Well, his ears weren't ringing anymore.

Tap. Tap.

"Have you eaten in a little while? Your kind requires food, I'm assuming?"

Tap. Tap.

"No to the requiring food or eating food?"

...tap.

Ryvnku sighs, but the Fualtics are the ones who speak next, "Needs food. Got some for it, no eat."

"Little one, why didn't you eat anything? Are you just causing trouble?" Ryvnku asked, more to himself than to Alexander. Alex tapped his pinkie again. Ryvnku let out a small chuckle, which made the corners of Alexander's lips twitch. "Oh, you've got a sense of humor, don't you?"

Tap.

"Hmm, which means you have at least level three emotional capacity…" Ryvnku's voice was then directed at the Fualitc's, "Something your level one ass wouldn't understand."  
"Alexander emotions strange."

"Actually, they're very valid." The alien says, brushing back Alexander's greasy hair soothingly. Alex practically purrs as he pushes his head against the hand. "Is this the only one of its kind on this ship?"  
"Yes."

Ryvnku speaks to Alexander again in that childish voice, "And do you like that? Do you like being alone?"

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. TAP. TAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAP -

"Okay, okay. I understand, little one. You're lonely, aren't you?"  
Alexander couldn't even tap his pinkie then. He felt a huge wave of emotion wash over him as he admitted to himself - yes, he was. He was so lonely. A wail lurched out of his mouth, hurtling himself forward into the alien's chest. He sobbed against the other creature's skin.

"Okay. It's okay, little one." Ryvnku's voice turned hard then as he spoke to the Fualtics, "Your pet is in very bad shape. What makes you think you can take care of another species? Your kind is the worst kind of owner. That's why you're always sold off. Idiot drones, you lot are."

"It was okay in beginning." The Fualtic didn't sound the least bit upset about the other alien's rant. "Now it sad."

"Yes, it's more than just sad. Look at it, you've given it depression."

"How fix?"

"Well, first it needs food and water, right little one?"

Alex's entire body was shaking with sobs as he tapped his fingers against the alien's chest.

A Fualtic replied, "We give it the food! It does not want the food!"

"Nonsense. Open that up." The alien spoke. Alex could distantly hear the ripping of packaging. Before long, the strange scent of meat filled the air. Alexander couldn't tell what  _kind_  of meat. But just the memory of ham or turkey or steak or bacon made Alex's mouth water. He was willing to eat anything at this moment, even if it was bought using a slave. Alex didn't care anymore. His morals - what was starving him previously - were thrown out the window once they tapped him to his bed. Alex whined and opened his mouth like he was a baby bird or some shit. Shame was also thrown out the window.

"Oh, you eat through your mouth! How cute!" The alien said as it poked a bite-full of meat into his awaiting mouth. Alex chewed it quickly, not even tasting the food. Even in his life on Earth, he had never been this hungry before. He hadn't even chewed it all the way when he swallowed it. It went down slowly, but Alexander didn't mind. He opened his mouth for the next bite. He was rewarded almost immediately. "See how I'm doing this? See how I'm taking care of this lesser creature? See how it trusts me?"

The Fualitcs all spoke at once, "Understood."

"No, you don't. If you did, I wouldn't be here…"

Alexander zoned out, only focusing on the meat sitting in his belly. He chewed. He swallowed. He opened his mouth for more. Repeat. As he did this, he felt his body melt further into the alien's embrace. He was humming happily as his tongue licked his lips. His eyes slowly lowered as he felt himself relax.

"Now, clearly the reason why this poor creature is so lonely is because this is it's mating season."

Alex blinked lazily, his mouth hanging open for the next piece of meat.

"What that?"

"Mating season is when lesser creatures gather to create offspring. It's a primal urge that can drive a creature to madness. That is what is happening to your pet right now. You have secluded it during its mating season."

The Fualitcs are quiet for a long moment, probably speaking telepathically, before one of them says, "We helpful! We do this?"

"Yes, your kind is used all throughout the universe for mating season. I assume I don't have to explain this one to you." Ryvnku said, almost sounding disgusted. Alex made a whining noise and another piece of meat was placed in his mouth.

"All it need? The food, the water, and the mate?" A Fualtic asked.

"Yes. Then your pet will be good as new." Ryvnku said. "And, when you mate with it, it will probably best for you to take the blindfold off of it. Seeing one of its own kind will be good for it."

"Understood."

Alex sighed happily as he fell asleep against the alien. His stomach was full and he was too tired to listen to what the strange creatures were saying. He just wanted to sleep. He felt marginally better now that he had food and his limbs weren't taped to his bed. Although there was still a deep ache in his chest, he didn't mind it right now, since it lolled him to sleep.

* * *

"If my kind returns soon with the human, they will be coming from past your sun." Gilbert was gesturing to the hologram before them. They drew a line with their finger and pointed at just beyond Mars. "They will meet at the same spot that we were traded. That was the spot agreed upon. They will not break such an agreement, even despite an emergency."

Angelica had her arms crossed, her gaze locked to the holographic model of their solar system. "And what if we head in the direction they went? Will we meet them sooner?"

Gilbert shook their head, "Unlikely. Your technology is far unsuperior. More likely: you get lost and all die."

"Inferior." James corrected, his gaze shifting to the Captain, "So what? We're just supposed to wait and pray that they return?"

"Of course they'll return." Eliza said before the Captain could reply, "We have Gilbert."

Gilbert made a strange noise at the back of their throat. "Also unlikely."

"What do you mean?" John asked, "Why wouldn't they come back for you?"  
Gilbert appeared uncomfortable as they said, "My kind does not care for the individual. They have left full battalions stranded on planets that they proceeded to blow up. I am nothing. If not for your friend, I would have no hope of returning home."

Everyone had mixed expressions of horror and pity. Peggy reached forward, fingers brushing the back of Gilbert's hand, "Gil, that's awful! How could they not care about you?"

"I am nothing." Gilbert repeated, stepping away. They didn't sound sad, instead their voice regained that crackly robotic nature. Their face was blank as they spoke, the death of a soul dancing in their eyes, "All Fualtics are nothing. I would do the same to another. It is how the life is."

"I don't believe that." Angelica said, "I don't believe you'd leave another behind. Not anymore. You've changed, haven't you? Being in Thomas' mind changed you?"

Gilbert thought for a moment. They looked away, but didn't reply.

"Okay, but what about getting communication with Alexander?" Thomas quickly asked, desperately trying to stay on topic. "Can we do that?"

"Do not know. Your technology not yet ready to talk that far." Gilbert said, their grammar falling apart as they kept their gaze on the floor. "My kind could communicate, and would, but since they not, their radios broken, me think."

Thomas slammed his hands on the table between them, tarnishing the hologram. "Then can you build a new radio? One that would send to wherever your people are? And then we could find out if their radios are really broken or if they're just giant fuckheads!?"

"Thomas!" Angelica snapped, but the other Moonie didn't even react to the chastising. James stepped into his space, placing a hand on his shoulder, turning him away.

"You have to calm down, man." James whispered.

"I fucking can't." Thomas hissed, running a hand through his hair, "How can I calm down when Alexander is out there -"

"Thomas, I get it. You love him. But freaking out at our only means of help isn't doing any of us any good." James kept his voice level for Thomas, something to hold onto and ground him to the moment. They're trying to fix this. Right. Everything will be okay. Right.

"Possible." A voice came from behind them.

Thomas looked over his shoulder to lock gazes with Gilbert. "What did you fucking say?"

"Possible." Gilbert repeated, "I possible build new radio. I possible communicate with home ship. I possible bring Alexander Hamilton home."

Thomas glanced at the others before leaning across the table and hissing in his most menacing voice, "I swear to my queen if this is another fucking  _test_  to see how I'll fucking  _react_  then I'll -"

"No, no test." Gilbert held up their hands and expression of worry crossing their face. "Honest!"  
Thomas stared at them for a long time, he didn't look away even as the Captain spoke.

"Well, that seems to be our next plan of action. In the meantime, I still need to make public what has happened. I won't allow for the news to leave the Enterprise yet. If this radio plan doesn't work, then we'll send the news to the Moon Queen, the Martian president, and the Earthian Council. By tomorrow morning, all of the ship will know what has happened to our fellow human. Gilbert, I want you to understand that this may put you in a difficult situation. The men, women, and variations thereupon on this ship may blame you for the loss of our dear friend."

"That's not to say he's gone!" Eliza quickly interrupted, "Right?"

The Captain took off his hat, baring his bald head, "I honestly hope so, my dear Eliza. I hope so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

When Alexander was a young child, he looked to the moon; like so many people have done since the beginning of the human race. Although, now this floating rock had some significance to the people on Earth. See, now, it was more than just something that turned the tides. It did more than just light up the night sky. For many generations, the moon has now become a goal. Something to reach for; the perfect life.

"We're going to be there, one day." Alex's mother would tell him as they sat in the grass and watched the stars. She always made time for him, even if it was late at night. "One day, we'll stand before the queen, you and I. We'll have a home there. And it will be fantastic."

Alex would happily soak up these stories of a better, cleaner life. When he was really young, he asked his mother why they didn't just go up to the moon now.

"Well, it doesn't exactly work like that, honey." His mother said, brushing back his hair, "Only really special people can live on the moon."

" _I'm_  really special!" Alex claimed, puffing out his small chest.

His mother laughed, "That you are! They'll  _beg_  you to be on the moon!"

For a while, Alex really believed that.

Things went downhill quickly, as it usually does on Earth. It started with his mother getting sick. Alex stayed with her while James, his older brother, stood in line with their life savings in order to buy the medicine necessary to help her. Alex was curled up in bed with his mom, staring out the window at the moon, when he started coughing uncontrollably.

"Oh, Alex…" His mom sighed, brushing back his hair. Her hand was sweaty and shook uncontrollably, but still just as soft and gentle as the day he was born. Alex's eyes hurt and he really just wanted to close them.

Alex was shaken awake when James returned with the medicine. He blinked in confusion as he was handed the syrupy liquid. "T'a's fer Mama."

James shook his head solemnly, "She would want you to have it."

Alex looked over to his mother, who was sleeping. Her breathing was so shallow, her chest barely rose and fell. He leaned over her, watching her for a long moment. His small heart stuttered in his chest, "No, no she should have so-"

"Goddammit, Alex, just take it!" James shouted suddenly.

Alex flinched, scooting away from him. His older brother's skin was burned from standing in the sun so long. His eyes were sunken in from lack of sleep. Alex barely ever saw him anymore, because he was too busy working. The child scowled, wrapping his arms around himself, "You're just like dad."

James' eyes flew wide with anger. He slammed the medicine bottle down on their table. "Fine! Don't take it! Fucking die! I don't care!"

Alex watched as James grabbed his dirty backpack and started filling it with his things. Alex sat up on his knees, "Where are you going?"

"Don't you get it? We're never going to survive here! I'm going to go request access to Mars." James said as he slung his bag onto his shoulders.

Alex looked back out the window at the moon, "Why not the moon?"

James scoffed, "People like us don't go to the moon, Alexander. It's time someone told you that."

Alex wanted to reply, but he was struck suddenly with an intense coughing fit. His world spun as he curled against himself, emptying his stomach on the bed next to him. He groaned as he swayed helplessly. Out the corner of his eye, he saw James take a step towards him; his expression nothing but fear and concern. Alex doesn't know what made him do it. But his brother shook his head and backed out of their small cottage.

"I'm sorry, Alex."

* * *

"You need to sleep."

Thomas scoffed and rolled his eyes, fighting back a yawn. "And leave you in our ship unsupervised? I don't think so."

Gilbert sighed, running a hand across their face, "I'm left alone on this ship all the time. Why watch me now?"

"This is different." Thomas said, leaning against the Captain's empty chair. "We're in the Command Center. You could turn off the engines and send us crashing to a fiery death."

"Untrue. There is no oxygen in space; fire cannot form." Gilbert said, focusing on what they were doing. Thomas stared at them in annoyed silence until they looked up. They realized their mistake and quickly corrected, "And I wouldn't do such a thing. That is bad."

Thomas shook his head, staring out the large windows at the endless stars in the distance. Past one of those, his Alexander was there. Possibly in danger. His stomach churned uncomfortably.

"You should sleep, though. Humans need it. For some reason." Gilbert tried again. The two were alone in the Command Center; even the Captain retiring for the night. They've been in there for two days, working on trying to make a successful radio. Thomas refused to leave until he heard Alexander's voice. "I will keep working while you rest."

"I already said no. I'm fine." Thomas growled, crossing his arms. "Sleep is for the weak."

Gilbert's eyebrows rose as they looked up from what they were doing, "Really?!"

Thomas chuckled. He quickly fixed his expression, remembering he wasn't supposed to like the alien. He looked away and grumbled, "No, not really. It's an expression."

"Human languages strange." Gilbert grumbled back, going back to work. They had taken apart the Enterprise's communicators, leaving them unable to contact any of their planets. They claimed that they would fix it soon, but first they had to get their nasty white goo all over the place. Thomas looked away every time Gilbert's arm shifted from a human limb into a slimy mess. He didn't want to remember what they really looked like. He didn't want to think that Alex was surrounded by that kind of thing.

After a few more hours, Gilbert spoke up suddenly, "Did it! Think! Fixed it!"

Thomas ran over to the alien, observing what they were looking at. Their radio, which previously could do calls, holograms, and instant messaging; now was a mess of glowing goo and wires sticking everywhere.

"Are you serious right now? This looks like shit?" Thomas said, trying to figure out if this was some joke or another test.

But Gilbert simply reached forward and stuck their hand into the goo. Thomas flinched, expecting to see the creature get electrocuted. Instead, Gilbert's body started to glow; Thomas gasped when he realized the alien was vibrating violently.

Gilbert closed their eyes and opened their mouth. Thomas took a step back when words started flowing out of the open mouth; tongue and lips unmoving. It sounded like Gilbert was surfing the radio waves, trying to find the right frequency. Thomas caught glimpses of different communications already in process.

"...which told me that he didn't really care, you know?"

"...requesting access to…"

"You are not allowed to fly here…"

"...ready to fire…"

"So I said…"

Thomas glanced out at the window again, knowing that some of these conversations were not human ones. His chest swelled with an emotion he couldn't quite describe. For the first time in his life, he realized just how small he was in the wide universe. He quickly pushed those thoughts away, know that following that line of thinking would only lead to a panic attack.

"Central Universal Hub, Communication and Dispatch, how may I help you?" A voice said.

Thomas jumped, surprised by the suddenly clear voice coming through Gilbert's open mouth.

"Hello?" The voice continued, "You've contacted the Central Universal Hub, is there anything you need?"

"Uh…" Thomas glanced around, unsure if he had to do anything, "Can you hear me?"

"Perfectly. How can I help you today?"

Thomas stared at Gilbert, unsure how to continue, but the alien was unmoving, almost unresponsive. "Uh, well, my friend is lost?"

The voice spoke easily, only mildly reassuring, "Okay, well let's put out a report for them shall we? Can you describe your friend to me?"

"He's, like, 5'6" with shoulder-length hair. He's got brown eyes and…" Thomas wondered if it was appropriate to say he was 'really really really cute'.

The voice said slowly, "Can you tell me what species your friend is?"

"Uh, human." Thomas replied.

There was a long pause, and then the voice continued, "I'm sorry, what species did you say?"

"Human."

"...I have no idea what species you're referring to. Can you tell me one more time?"

"Human; he's a human!" Thomas' voice grew louder.

"I have no files for such a species, what level of rarity is-"

Thomas interrupted, shouting, "HE'S A HUMAN, A PART OF THE HUMAN RACE, A HOMOSAPIEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY! HE'S SMALL AND YOUNG AND ALL ALONE AND I LEFT HIM, DEFENSELESS, AT THE HANDS OF SOME STUPID FUCKING FUALTIC BRATS AND I NEED TO FIND HIM!"

There was another long pause as Thomas covered his mouth to choke back a sob. Finally, the voice said, very carefully, "Did you say your friend is with some Fualtics?"

Thomas sucked in a deep breath, nodding, "Yes, yes, he's on a Fualtic ship."

"I have in my records that a large Fualtic ship docked one hundred and twenty-seven hours ago. Three individuals departed the ship; bought an excessive amount of Class B nutritional packages, and then reboarded the ship, leaving shortly after." The voice said, "Does any of this sound familiar?"

"Uh…" Thomas wracked his mind for some kind of answer. No, none of that sounded  _familiar_. He tried to figure out the strange phrasing. He must have taken too long to answer, because the voice continued shortly after.

"I only bring this up because the individuals who departed the ship were two Fualtics and one unnamed species. This creature was bipedal with strange, colorful modesty protectors, and only had two arms. It stayed close to the Fualtics, because creatures of such structure tend to be eaten, enslaved, or used for reproductive purposes. Does this accurately describe your friend?"

Thomas blinked rapidly, trying to figure out if any of this was accurate. "Um, yeah? Sure?"

"Has your friend been captured? Do we need to send Universal Police to hunt down these Fualtics?" The voice politely asked.

Thomas hesitated, staring at the alien in front of him. Gilbert couldn't respond, and Thomas didn't know how to reply. He grasped at the air helplessly. His thoughts fought in a conflicted battle. Say he  _does_  send the cops after the Fualtic ship; and they have done nothing wrong. Alex is safe and happy. Would this start a war between their two species? Could the human race even survive a galactic war against shape-shifting piles of play-doh? But what if he  _doesn't_  send the cops and Alex is being torchered? What if this is his only chance to save his love? What if Alex needs his help?

He thought of Gilbert, being pushed against the wall, begging, ' _My kind will not hurt him_.'

"...No. No, you don't have to send cops. He hasn't been captured. He just - he just hasn't come back yet." Thomas said numbly.

The voice was joking as it said, "Well, Fualtics  _are_  pretty forgetful. 'Has the memory of a Fualtic', as they say."

"Yeah, right." Thomas mumbled.

"How about I contact the Fualtic ship that landed here and see if they know about your friend, yeah?" The voice cheerfully suggested.

Thomas felt his heart jump to his throat, "You can do that?! Yes, please, contact them!"

"Alright, just one moment. I'm going to put you on hold, are you willing to wait?" The voice said.

"Yes, please hurry!" Thomas said.

The room fell into silence as Thomas paced the floor, waiting for a response to return. Oh dear Lords, he was going to speak to Alex. Oh, gods. He would finally,  _finally_  know if his love was alright. Thomas' heart was pounding hopelessly. He tripped over his feet when the voice returned.

"Okay, so we have some bad news. I can't seem to connect to the Fualtic ship. There must be something wrong with their radio." The voice paused, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Um… No, I guess - wait, actually, can you tell me where the ship is right now?" Thomas asked quickly, thinking on his feet.

The voice paused, "There are laws against giving away such information -"

"Please, I need to know where he is." Thomas interrupted, letting all his desperation show in his voice, "Please, I'm begging."

"...Okay, but don't you dare tell my manager. From the last point I've traced, the ship is in the western section of the  _cnakwhei_ Galaxy, with a rough estimate of coordinates; 3874, 29.12, -7782. Is there anything else I can do for you?" The voice asked, and Thomas could tell they were now nervous. But something about that didn't sound right.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry,  _what_  Galaxy?"

"The  _msuhanick_ Galaxy." The voice replied. Thomas was about to open his mouth to ask again for clarification, but the voice quickly continued, "If there's nothing else you need, have lovely galactic travels."

Gilbert jerked backward suddenly, their arm freeing itself from the mess that was now their communication system. Thomas knelt next to them, trying to make sure that he wouldn't be tried for the death of an alien. But Gilbert rolled their head and slowly mumbled incoherently.

"Fuck." Thomas muttered. Awkwardly, Thomas shook the creature, his voice wavered slightly when he said, "Hey, get up, I need help."

"You humans - so needy." Gilbert muttered. Thomas smiled when the alien cracked an eye open and grinned at him.

Thomas looked away, clearing his throat, "So, did you hear any of that, or…?"

"You did good for that being your first direct alien contact." Gilbert praised, sitting up slowly. They held their head; their eyes still a bit foggy. "Aside from me, of course."

"You hardly count anymore." Thomas waved the comment off. He needed help figuring out what was told to him, "Okay, so, translate everything that just happened?"

Gilbert paused, thinking back to the conversation. "I believe my ship took Alexander to the Universal Hub to get him the food."

"So he won't starve?!" Thomas desperately asked, leaning into Gilbert's space.

"So he won't starve." Gilbert smiled softly when Thomas relaxed at the news. "That happened about … five days ago? So the last time the UNiversal Hub had tracked my ship, they were in the  _nzklbwudc_ Galaxy -"

Thomas pointed a finger in the alien's face, "That! What's that word!? What's it mean?"

"It doesn't translate well…" Gilbert thought for a long moment. Thomas waited in silence, staring intently at the alien as they thought. Finally, Gilbert said, "I think… the closest word would be 'hurricane'?"

"So…" Thomas squinted at them, thinking. "I guess you could say..."

Gilbert finished for him, "Alexander Hamilton is currently in the Hurricane Galaxy."

* * *

"You're doing so good." A recognizable voice said softly as they poked another mouth-full of food into Alexander's mouth. Alex chewed slowly, his mind peacefully blank. He doesn't do much lately except for sleep and, occasionally, eat. "It has come to my attention, that you need a shower?"

Alex's mind took a long moment to figure out what was being said. Finally, he nodded; raising and dropping his chin shakily.

"I thought so. You do like showers." The voice said.

Alexander is still blindfolded. For whatever reason; the Fualtics seem to believe that the bandages around his eyes are what is curing him. He can't find the strength to correct them. Besides, if he can't see, he can convince himself that he's actually in a crowded room, full of other humans. It was earlier this morning when the Fualtics brought him this new companion. Alex has gathered from the voice and the rough fingers that this person was male. And he thinks - he  _thinks_  - they're human.

Regardless of who this stranger is, Alex clings to him helplessly. He isn't warm like the last alien was. But his touch is gentle and kind. Alex allows the man to feed him; he doesn't care anymore. If they keep him alive; fine. If he dies in the middle of the night; fine. There's no point in fighting anything.

So Alex allows himself to be picked up by the creature. It carries him across the room and sets him on the bathroom counter. Alex shivers at the cold contact of the ship. He doesn't even know what to call the material under his skin. Whatever it is, it warms under his touch; as if sensing his discomfort.

There's a pause as the other man in the bathroom tries to figure out how the shower works. He squeaks in surprise when water starts rushing down on him. Alex imagines what is happening; focusing on the sounds alone. Even that feels distant though. Everything is vague, like he's watching a movie while he's high. He knows things are happening to him; but he can't really find himself to associate with any of it.

"You get naked now?" The voice said.

Alex didn't respond.

A second later, strong hands are on his chest; slowly unbuttoning his outfit. Alex sits, unhelpfully, as he is stripped of his shirts. It takes a while to coax the clothes off of Alex's stiff muscles. The clothes are baggy in ways that they shouldn't be. Alex shivers in the cold air.

"You are so small." The voice mumbled, mildly concerned.

Alex is pulled off the counter to stand; his knees shook with the effort to keep him up. Alex ended up sagging against the other man's chest as he struggled to get his pants off. The man huffed in satisfaction when Alex was completely naked.

Slowly, Alex raised his fingers to his blindfolded eyes.

Alex could tell the other man shook his head, "Not yet, puppet."

There was something about that pet name that made Alex's heart stumble. But he couldn't remember why. Alex gripped the counter behind him as the man took a step back. Alex could hear the rustling of clothes as the other man stripped. Alex blinked slowly behind his blindfold, he whined when the man touched him again.

The pure feeling of human skin against his own made him start to cry. It didn't matter that this man was cold to the touch. He was here. He was human. Alex shamelessly fell into the other man's chest, his nails digging into his skin slightly.

"Hush, it okay." The man whispered as he slowly led Alex into the shower.

Alex's sobs only grew louder as the man ran his fingers through his hair, helping him get clean for the first time in days. Alex had only ever felt so gross, so  _dirty_  once in his life; when he had passed out in his own vomit on his and his mother's bed. Alex made it hard to clean himself, because he kept his body pressed against the other man's his face hiding in his chest. They were the same size, the same height, so his aching knees had to crouch a little. Alex's arms remained wrapped around the other man as he was cleaned.

"Shh, I'll take care of you now. I'm helpful." The man whispered as he massaged shampoo into Alex's hair. "You'll be okay soon, pet."

Alex could only whine in response.

Their shower took much longer than Alexander's normal ones. And those were pretty lengthy to begin with. It just took the other man a frustrating amount of time to clean the smell of sweat, sick, and piss from Alexander's skin. Especially because Alex squirmed at every touch.

Finally, Alex was stumbling out of the shower, an arm wrapped around his waist as another rubbed a towel against him. When he was mostly dry, Alex was led back to his bed, where he was laid down. He was still naked, but he didn't really care. What did it matter, anyway? The other man was naked, too. Besides, the sheets felt nice against his bare skin. They were clean; someone must have changed them. Or maybe the ship cleaned itself. Alex doesn't know. He doesn't care.

Alex's eyelashes brushed against his damp blindfold. Blindly, Alex reached out, whimpering.

"I'm still here, Alexander." The man said, his voice a bit crackly. Alex sighed against the other man's touch; wanting nothing more than to be close to the other human. There are too many Fualtics on this ship. He's too far away from home. He needs this human to stay by his side. He needs to see them.

Alex whimpered again as his fingers itched at the edges of the blindfold.

"Okay, we can take that off now." The man said. Alex smiled weakly as a hand slipped under his neck, supporting it as his head was raised slightly. Alex closed his eyes as the bandages loosened, being taken off layer by layer.

Alex could tell the room was bright from behind his eyelids. He squirmed, not wanting to be bombarded by the whiteness that was the Fualtic ship. The other man shushed him quietly, and soon, the last of the bandages came off.

"You can look now." The man said.

Alex's eyes flew open, blinking in the bright light. When his eyes finally grew adjusted to the light; he squinted at the man in front of him. His gaze drifted up and down the  _very_  familiar body. He knew those hands. He knew that face; he had seen it in his reflection. His eyes lingered on the little circular translator in the middle of the man's chest. It took his muddled mind a few minutes to connect the dots. And when he figured it out, his body grew cold.

"Shh, Alexander," The man smiled, "I'm here to help you. I'm very useful."

Alex's mouth grew dry as the man brushed back some of his hair soothingly.

"Besides." The exact replica of himself said, tapping his temple with a wink, "I know what you like."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

When Thomas was young, he would paint his nails, just to chip off the paint when he was nervous. He tried hard not to do that now as he stood with his parents and his nine siblings. They were the biggest family on the moon. Most were no larger than four members: parents and two kids. A few were allowed five. Six or more was not acceptable. Somehow, Thomas' parents were able to keep him and his siblings a secret; only allowing a select few out of their apartment at a time.

Thomas remembers times when they were almost caught.

"Ah, Mrs. Jefferson… That's quite a few little ducklings following behind you." A family friend would tease, but not without suspicion.

His mother was a master at lying. She didn't even blink, feigning disinterest. "Hm? Oh, yes, well. My husband and I agreed that we deserve a servant or two. And then my lovely darlings asked if they could have their own, and, well, how could I say no?"

The three eldest children puffed out their chests and looked down at the rest of them degradingly. Thomas picked at his nail polish, feeling just as pitiful as the role he was supposed to play.

"Have you done my homework yet?" Lucy asked, her lip curling.

Thomas's gaze fell to the floor, "Well…"

His mother interrupted, speaking to the accuser, "Now, every Moonie is entitled to their own servant. Why is my family any different?"

"You certainly got yourself some young ones." The lady muttered, crossing her arms. Her gaze burned Thomas' skin. He wanted her to leave.

"Well, it is called 'Life Servitude' for a reason, dear." His mother hummed, leading her children away, "Wouldn't want some crusty old man who'll die before he even gets me my tea."

That was before they were found out.

Once they were discovered, they were put on trial for breaking the laws of the Moon. It was explicitly clear; only those who were granted permission were allowed to have three children. Never four. And  _definitely_  never ten. But the Jeffersons tend to do whatever they wanted.

Now was not the case. Thomas's fingers inched forward to chip off some of his nail polish, but Lucy grabbed his hand and held it by her side. She didn't look at him as she muttered, "Thomas, don't. Be a good  _puppet_ and don't move."

Thomas hated that word. He hated his role in his family. He hated that he was born. He hated that he was born on  _the Moon_. He hated his life. He was told all the time how  _special_  he was for living on the moon. All he felt like was a dirty secret that no one wanted.

He clenched his jaw, watching as his father spoke in front of the Queen.

"My Lady," He said, "We are not at fault here. We have only-"

"If you do not wish for the death of all of your family, you will listen to me very carefully." She said.

She was not much older than Thomas, himself. But she had made the law that there would be no jails on the moon; there was not enough space for that kind of thing. Instead, all those found guilty would be punished immediately. If the crime was truly a petty one, or, if the guilty begged enough, they would be sent to Mars. Worse criminals were sent to Earth. The worst of all were killed; their bodies shot out into space to die horribly. Only the queen could decide the fate of each criminal. No one else had a say. Thomas silently prayed that they would all be evicted to Mars.

The queen continued speaking, "You may keep one and only one. The other nine  _must_  be sent away."

"To Mars?" His father asked hopefully.

"Some." The queen nodded. "The rest must go to the Earth."

"My queen," His father said slowly, "Some of these children are …  _children_! They cannot survive on their own on Earth!"

The queen spoke clearly, "Do I not do my best for each and every one of my citizens, Peter?"

"Y-yes, my queen."

"I will ensure that every child that is sent away will have a satisfying life. They will be taken care of. Regardless of where they land; they are still my children, and I will still protect them. Am I understood?"

His father nodded slowly, "Yes, my queen."

The queen nodded and then gestured to the line of children. "So? Which shall stay?"

His mother spoke up then, "My queen, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but, I know you have not birthed, and so you may not understand what you are saying. You cannot simply ask a mother to pick one of her children over the others."

"No…" The queen agreed, nodding slowly, "But I can demand it. Pick a child, or I will. The child I pick will stay by my side and you will have none of them. These are my terms. Your choice and you keep it, or my choice and it's mine."

His parents turned to their kids, expressions ones of clear distraught. The kids started shifting awkwardly, glancing at one another. In their minds, they were trying to figure out which one is the favorite. Which one should get the right to the Moon. Which one is the most worthy.

"It should be the youngest." Lucy, the oldest, suggested. "I have lived nineteen years on this rock. I know it well. I will have memories of it to hold close for when I am gone."

"No, don't talk like that!" Anna Scott cried. "What if you get sent to Earth?"

"I don't wanna go…" PT whispered, unable to look away from the queen's calculating gaze.

"It should be me! I should be the one to stay! I would die without my medication!"

"Uh, the queen would take care of you. You can get drugs anywhere."

"It should be Peter! He needs to stay with you!"

"No, it should be Randy!"

"Jane!"

"Liz!"

No one suggested that it be Thomas who stays on the moon. But maybe that was because they had seen how he stared out at the planet that they orbit, wondering what kind of life might be awaiting him there. It would be easy to gain access. No one would bother him. He'd be free to be the kind of man he always wanted to be.

His mother turned to the queen, "I can't! I can't choose which child lives and which ones must die, alone, on a foreign planet! You cannot make me!"

The queen didn't blink as she lifted a hand. The guards around the room reacted suddenly, as if they could tell what she was thinking. They grabbed the children by the arms and forced the parents to kneel on the ground. The queen's gaze flicks from each and every face, determining their fate, right in front of everyone.

"Earth."

"Earth."  
"Mars."

"Earth."

"Mars."

"Mars."  
"Mars."

Finally, she gets to Thomas. She pauses, watching him carefully.

"Him. He shall sit by my feet while the rest are sent away." The queen said evenly. "My coordinators will ensure the children are flying off tonight."

"Can we see say goodbye to them?" His father asked.

"Of course not." The queen replied, "This is your punishment for breaking the law. Be glad I don't have you killed."

"It would be kinder." His mother spat.

Thomas was pulled to the side by a guard. He watched as his siblings, his family, were led away. They disappeared behind double doors, supposedly to start their own lives elsewhere. Eventually, the room was empty, save for himself, the guards, and the girl who sat on the throne.

"How old are you, child?" The queen asked him.

Thomas swallowed hard, replying, "Fourteen."

He looked down; his nails were bare.

* * *

"Shh, Alex, why you whine?" The Fualtic Alex asked, gentle hands sliding against his own. He hated how his skin tingled against the touch. He hated that he almost leaned into it. He hated that he still wanted to be close to this man, even if he wasn't human.

Alex looked away, closing his eyes and turning his head. He couldn't form the words to describe what was wrong with this situation, especially to a rather dense alien species.

"I'm here to help you, puppet." Alien Alex sighed, leaning down to press their bodies together. Alex almost moaned at the contact, and immediately felt shame rise in him.

He shook his head, words failing him once again. He used to be so good with his voice; so elegant and eloquent. But now he was, literally, speechless. He tapped Alien Alex's forehead twice.

"Hm? No?" The Fuatlic understood the movement from the vet who spoke with him. Alex squirmed and tapped twice again. "No what? What need, Alex?"

Alex just kept shaking under him, tears forming in his eyes. His throat was simultaneously too dry and too wet to provide an actual response. He just repeatedly tapped the alien with shaking fingers.

"You do not understand." Alien Alex said quietly, brushing back some of Alex's hair. He smiled, nodding as he spoke, "You are in the heat. You need a mate, and then you will be not sick. I am the mate for you! I'm useful!"

Alex shook his head again, with a little more vigor this time. He pushed a hand against the copy of his chest, trying to keep him away. His other hand continued its incessant tapping on the alien's head.

"What I do wrong?" Alien Alex asked, looking a little lost. "What are your heats normally like?"

The human let out a shuddering breath as Alien Alex's fingers drifted up and down his chest. His head fell limply to the sides, his best attempt at shaking his head. He pulled his hands away from the alien, they weakly flopped down on his face; hiding himself from the creature before him.

Pausing, Alien Alex decides to step into his body's memories to try an get some insite on what to do. He discovered many things about Alexander's life; but nothing involving a heat. He found that the Earth is very hot, and his sun had burned him. But Alien Alex didn't think that was what he was supposed to be looking for.

"Question:" Alien Alex finally said, breaking the silence. "Do humans have the heat?"

Alex's pinkie lifted and fell twice on his own cheek.

Alien Alex shifted awkwardly above him. His expression was blank as he tried to figure out what to do next. The vet gave them false information. They had no idea how to fix their human now.

Alex whined as the comforting weight of the alien climbed off of him. He didn't look from behind his hands as the Fualtic brushed back his hair gently, "You stay, puppet."

The door opened and closed.

Alex curled in on himself, on top of his sheets. The shivers that wracked his body were not from the cold. For a second, he was thankful for the solitude of his own room. But it only lasted a second.

Loathing burned in his chest as he found himself watching the door, hoping that Alien Alex would return. He wouldn't struggle this time. He wouldn't refuse. If the other man would just come back and hold him close - he could pretend to be in heat.

He could be good.

* * *

Thomas' hands grasped uselessly at the air as he walked down the hall. He tried to convince himself that Alex was going to be okay. Because now they knew where he was. Realistically, that doesn't helped them at all. They can't travel to the other side of the fucking universe.

Maybe they could contact  _other_  aliens and have those aliens take Alex away from the previous aliens and then they could have some strange alien bussing system, in order to get Alex home. He was honestly considering pitching the idea to the Captain when he heard a soft grunt from down a more secluded hall.

Thomas hesitated, wondering what that could have been. He slowed his steps carefully, so they wouldn't echo. Peaking around the corner, he almost choked on air at what he saw.

Gilbert was pushed up against the wall, a knife at their throat. Two low level workers were crowded around them. One was flicking messy white goop all over the place. The same white goop that trickled out of the cuts on Gilbert's face.

"The fuck is this shit, man?" One hisses, pulling a face at the white substance.

"I don't know, his fuckin cum or some shit." The other growls. The knife cuts a little deeper into Gilbert's skin, "You gettin' off on this?"

The first man slams his fist against Gilbert's jaw before they can respond. A gut-wrenching sound escaped the alien's lips. The second trails the tip of the knife up and down Gilbert's throat, pressing in occasionally to listen to Gilbert's breathing choke.

"Go back to where you came from, you peice of shit!" One of them shouts. Another punch to the face. Their lip is bleeding and they have a black eye.

Despite this, they cock their head to the side and say as clearly as they can, "I ...  _literally_ cannot … do that."

Thomas felt his knees shaking as he stepped forward, "What is the meaning of this?!"

The men jump in surprise, turning to look at him.

"S-sir!" One says, "We were just correcting this Immigrant, on behalf of the human race."

Thomas crosses his arms, disgusted anger in his eyes, "Excuse me?"

"W-well," The second explains, "He lost our guy. Hamilson. His people took 'em. We were just showing him who he was messin' with."

"Firstly, his name is Hamil _ton_." Thomas said, taking calculated steps forward. He straightened his back and tipped his chin up so he was literally looking down on these idiots. "Secondly, if you have any human decency, stop misgendering them."

The two men glanced at each other, sharing nervous expressions.

"Thirdly." Thomas said, his voice dropping an octave, "this situation is  _far_  above you. If you  _honestly_  think you are doing any sort of good, or, Gods forbid, being  _helpful_ , you're stupider than you look. The Captain  _will_  hear about this. You will be thrown on Earth for your crimes to humanity's newest ally, where you will rot for the rest of your days. You will  _never_  be granted re-entry to Mars. Have I made myself clear?"

Pale, horrified faces stared at him. Slowly they mumbled, "Yessir."

"Give me your holograms, and get the  _fuck_  out of my way." Thomas growled.

The two scrambled to drop their holographic devices into his awaiting hand. Thomas also confiscated the knife. The two man disappeared down the hall, their footsteps echoing as they left.

As soon as they were gone, Thomas let out a deep, shuddering breath. He hated confrontation. Ignoring his own pounding heart, Thomas turned to Gilbert, who was slowly sinking down against the wall.

Thomas dropped to his knees to get a better look at the gasping alien. "Are you alright? Oh gods, are you dying? What's happening, what do I need to do?"

"Light." Gilbert growled out, their throat gurgling as a new stream of white mess spilled out of the cuts.

"Light? Like, a flashlight?" Thomas asked, shaking the alien when they couldn't open up their eyes. "Gilbert?!"

"Sun … light." Gilbert mumbled, slumping against Thomas' shoulder.

Thomas cussed rather colorfully as he picked up the copy of his own body. He moved as quickly as he could, running almost completely on adrenaline. He silently thanked his queen that the attack happened relatively close to his room. He had a huge window in there that he liked for stargazing. He pushed himself into the room; sliding to the couch that was in front of the window. Briefly, he remembered when he had to move the thing to put a table there, in attempts to woo Alexander. He shook his head, now is not the time to think about such things.

He gently laid the alien down on the couch and then turned to the window. It currently had thick blinds on it, to keep out excess radiation and light. With very little thought to his own health, Thomas punched the button on the wall that would remove the barrier. He grunted and averted his eyes as the blinds slowly moved up the wall; revealing more and more light. He watched as the sun's beams steadily moved across the floor until it was shining a warm patch over the couch. Thomas stopped the blind's ascent from there; giving Gilbert plenty of sunlight, while not completely bombarding the room with the sun's rays.

Gilbert let out a soft sigh as their body went slack on the couch cushions. The white splotches of - blood? - across their face and clothes start to glow softly under the light. Thomas bites his lip as he waits for something to happen.

He's expecting some immediate transformation. He's expecting Gilbert to jump up and start running their mouth. He's expecting them to be okay.

But nothing happens.

The white spots glow a bit, but other than that, the alien is completely lax. Thomas' hand flies to his mouth when he realizes that they're not even breathing anymore. He stumbles, his knees weak.

"Oh gods." Thomas whispers, "My queen, please do not kill this alien on my couch,"

The silence and stillness grows to be too much for Thomas. He shakily steps away from the couch. His eyes are locked with the alien's broken face. Their nose was busted, their eye swollen, their lip cut, and their entire neck covered in white slime.

Thomas bit his lip as he said, "I-I'm going to be right back. I'm going to get James.  _Please_ , don't die."

With that, Thomas escaped his own room, sprinting down the metal halls of the Enterprise, trying desperately to make it in time. He hopes, he  _prays_  that the creature he left in his room will be alive when he returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten chapters, wtf?? I was thinking this was gonna be 3 or 4 chapters, what happened??  
> Also, I'm, like, 92% sure that Thomas Jefferson was third born, so he would have been "safe", according to Moonie population laws, but you probably didn't know that, so I can do whatever I want.  
> Anyway, tell me what you think!!


	11. Chapter 11

"These calculations are wrong."

The men in grungy uniforms stopped speaking and turned to look at Alex. They glanced at each other and chuckled a bit. The taller one, who must be in charge, spoke convincingly, "Sure, kid."

"They are. You'll never get to Mars with this little gas." Alex said, holding up the files in explanation. The little tent they were in had piles of messy paperwork, some of which was held down by rocks and bottles. Alex scanned the little tent easily, shaking his head at the unorganization, "What kind of company are you running here?"

The taller man scoffed, snatching the files from Alex's hand. "Listen, kid. We've done this thousands of times -"

"Seems like a hyperbole." Alex muttered to himself.

" - we know what we're doing. We have plenty of gas to get from here to Mars." The guy said, gesturing to the large rockets that stood in the distance, "These babies are fine."

Alex tilted his head in challenge, "Have you taken into consideration of the weight of the cargo?"

"Of course we have." The worker scoffed, "We-"

"But this specific file," Alex tried to reach for it, but the man held it above him, out of Alex's reach. The boy huffed, but continued regardless, "is for a  _unique_  kind of cargo. Normally you ship things like food and supplies, correct? It's unusual for you to get a request to ship live cargo." Alex paused, curiosity getting the better of him, "What does Mars want with a ton of elephants anyway?"

The men shared a look, before the smaller one spoke up, "It's the anniversary of colonizing Mars, in a few months. They wanted a parade."  
"Does Mars have enough oxygen for elephants?" Alex asked.

"The parade's inside."

"Oh."

The taller man shook his head, "Look, living cargo or not, it doesn't matter. We're the professionals here."

Alex glanced at the files held out of his reach. "Really? Because I didn't see any equations for the elephants' food and water."

The men paused. The files slowly lowered, concerned expressions exchanged. Neither said a word.

"You  _are_  planning on feeding the elephants, aren't you?" Alex asked.

The men still didn't say anything.

Alex took a deep breath and spoke quickly, "Elephants need to eat at least 200 pounds and drink about 50 gallons of water a day. With the kind of rocket you're using - a Ion-SJ47, right? It takes about 125 days to get to Mars - or about seventeen weeks. So you need 200 pounds of food every day for seventeen weeks, which is about 3,400 pounds,  _per elephant_. You have nine, so that's about 30,600 pounds, and that's just food alone. For water it'll be another," he hesitated, mentally counting, "466,875 pounds. At least. If you want parade-worthy elephants, it'll be more. Now, the amount of fuel you have listed would certainly get you to Mars on time, if the weight was accurate. But you're missing 497,475 pounds worth of cargo; so either you deliver dead elephants - which the president of Mars would not take kindly, or you add more fuel. With the way you currently have it, the rocket would never get out of Earth's atmosphere, the strain on the engine would be too much."

The men opened the files and started flipping through the equations, finally, they looked up at Alex, eyes wide.

Alex filled in the silence by saying, "It would probably explode."

The taller man shoved the files in the shorter man's arms, growling, "Fix this."

The shorter man scrambled away, exiting the tent. Alex could hear him shout, "Where's my mathematics team? Who did this!?"

Alex watched as the taller man ran a hand through his hair, "What's your name, son?"

"Alexander Hamilton." Alex said. Then, he added, "I'm not your son."

"Hamilton." The man said, "I know that name."

"You're my landlord." Alex supplied quietly. "I lost my key, so I came to your work to ask about getting another."

The man nodded, "Yeah, yeah. You live alone, right?"

"Yeah. But my abuela, not my actual abuela, comes by and checks on me sometimes." Alex replied.

The man was watching him suspiciously, "How'd you get in here? This worksite is fenced off."

"I climbed it."

"It's electric."

"Only in little pulses, in order to save electricity. It only sparks once every thirteen seconds, you can hear the electric as it runs across the wire. And only the top wire is electrified, so if you wait until the pulse passes, then you can quickly climb over and jump down." Alex explained. "It just takes timing, balance, and luck."

"That seems like a lot of effort."

"I need my key." Alex said, like it was the most obvious thing in existence.

The man chuckled, "Okay, how about this. You help me and I'll help you."

Alex hesitated, unsure where this was going. "...what do you mean?"

"Clearly, I may need a bit of help around here." He gestured to the mess around him, "You need a key. And an income, I'm guessing? Your rent always comes in late."

"The price of that shack is too much." Alex mumbled.

The man ignored him, "How about you work for me? Like an internship or something."

Alex agreed immediately. He didn't come to the shipping yards for a job, but he certainly knew when to take an opportunity. "Okay!"

The two shook hands, satisfied with their new arrangement. The man spoke after releasing Alex's small hand. "How old are you, kid?"

"Fourteen." Alex said proudly.

The man whistled, "Damn, you shootin' for the moon, ain't ya?"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

"I-I-I swear, I didn't do anything!" Thomas was saying as he followed James back to his room, "Some idiots were attacking him, s-so I brought him back to my room and - and -"

His hands switched between grasping at nothing and picking at invisible nail polish. He couldn't form a coherent sentence, and he kept stepping on the back of James' shoes.

" _Thomas!_ " James finally growled, "You have to calm down!"

"Easy for you to say, you didn't just watch yourself bleed out on your couch." Thomas replied, breathless.

James halted in his steps, a look of horror flashing across his face. Thomas almost ran into him, but he caught himself on the shorter man's shoulders. They stood like that for a moment, taking grounding breaths for different reasons. James placed a hand on Thomas', biting his lip. He pulled away briskly, continuing his path, "Hurry."

When they came back to Thomas' room, the area is filled with white spores, floating in the air. Each little blob glowed in the sunlight, staying out of the shadows' reach. They couldn't see Gilbert from the door, so they walked forward slowly. Thomas felt James' hand slide against his, fingers clasping tightly. They shared a look before they glanced over the back of the couch at the hurt alien.

James made a soft squeaking noise, his nails digging into Thomas' skin.

"They're not me, remember? I'm right here." Thomas mumbled quietly.

James nodded, but his hand came up to cover his mouth and his eyes were a bit wet. Finally, he took a deep breath and shook his head, "Okay." He said, his voice shaking, "Okay. I think they're just healing? Keep in mind that this isn't an Earthly creature. It doesn't function like us. So. Maybe they're okay."

Thomas took a small step back, "I don't like this. What if the Fuatlics come back when they're like this? What if this is what starts some kind of intergalactic war?"

"It  _would_ be humanity's fault." James muttered.

"It would be the Fualtic's fault!" Thomas replied, "They disappeared with Alex! That's the only reason why those guys attacked Gil!"

James lips twisted to the side, like he was trying to push away the words before he said them. "Those idiots probably would have attacked Gilbert anyway. They're racist and immature. I can't imagine any respectable person shoving Gil against a wall like that."

Thomas felt a chill run down his spine at the words. Who would have thought that the man that threatened Gilbert's life, would now be the one to run to his aid?

"Thomas." James spoke quietly, his eyes not leaving Gilbert's white throat, "Can we talk?"

"Biologically, yes." Thomas replied.

"I'm serious, Tom." James' grip loosened on his hand.

Thomas watch his friend's expression as he nodded silently.

"This whole thing with the Immigrant Program…" James started. He hesitated and then started over, "This whole thing with  _Alex_ … When did it start?"  
Thomas felt himself stiffen, his eyes widening, "Um-"

"You never bothered to tell me." James said, "It was super obvious, once he was chosen and left, but…" He shook his head, looking up to Thomas, "Why didn't you ever talk about it?"

Thomas bit his lip, "You know how George is with me and my … partners."

"But that's the Captain. Why not tell  _me_?" James asked, a bit offended, "I wouldn't have told anyone! You  _know_  that!"

"Be-because I liked having him to myself!" Thomas said, his voice rising in desperation, "He was mine, my little puppet, that I could play with and he'd do what I say and- and- ….and…. Then, it changed.  _He_ changed in my eyes. He became so beautiful and precious and, Gods, I just wanted to take care of him…"

James blinked in surprise, "...Oh."

Thomas blushed darkly, looking away, "And I didn't want to say any of that, because it's embarrassing."

"How you've been acting is more embarrassing than that." James teased easily. Thomas' face grew darker.

"I just want him back."

"I know, Tom. We all do."

* * *

A day or two later, Alex stared at bare feet as they scraped against the white floor with each step. They weren't his bare feet. But they were. Alex blinked slowly, both understanding what was happening, and being completely lost. His chest was pressed against a human back, so he didn't mind what the world around him did. He closed his eyes and pressed his face against the neck under him.

_Your being carried, Alex_. A voice said in his head. He nodded along to the beat of the footsteps.

"Human Alexander arrived!" His own, slightly robotic voice called out.

"Bring here." Another said.

Alex kept his eyes shut even as blobby Fualtic hands poked at his exposed skin. He shuddered and buried his face further into the recognizable skin. Alien Alex shifted under him, trying to remove Alex's arms from around his neck. Alex didn't let go; he stayed attached to the faux human, his legs tightening with a strength he didn't think he had anymore. They'd have to pry his cold, dead body off of this other man. Alex was  _not_  moving.  
Fake or not, Alien Alex was the only form of humanity in the room. Alex was going to keep this piggyback ride going for as long as he could. The Big Fualtic moved in front of him, it still had the stupid marker expression Alex had drawn on him.

Alex glared at the alien, his grip tightening even more.

"No move." Alien Alex commented.

"That okay." Big replied, "How fix?"

"I don't know." Alien Alex replied, "Humans have no heat."

"No heat?" Big asked, the other Fualtics in the room repeated it quietly to each other. "No heat? No heat?"

Alex was a statue, gaze unmoving as he scowled at Big.

Alien Alex turned his head slightly, asking Alex, "How do we helpful you?"

Alex's gaze shifted to the copy of his face. His glare dissipated as he recognized the facial features.  _Human_. Alex relaxed against Alien Alex's back, a small pleased noise escaping past his lips.

"What mean?" Big asked.

Alien Alex shrugged, "Just noise me think?"

Big reached forward, attempting to touch Alien Alex, but Alex growled, a noise that came deep from within his chest. He snarled until Big pulled his hand away. Alex only relaxed when Alien Alex placed a hand on his arm. Alex continued to glare from his spot between Alien Alex's shoulder and neck.

Alien Alex and Big shared a look, neither speaking out loud. Finally, Alien Alex mumbled, "Maybe we should head back?"

"Humans too hard." Big nodded, "Send back."

Alex didn't react as the ship took a sharp and sudden turn to the left. The Fualtics barely moved, but Alien Alex stumbled slightly. He looked up to Big and grumbled, "Horrible walking sticks."

The ship was silent as Alien Alex walked back to Alex's bedroom, carrying the man with him. He spoke quietly, as he said, "You go home now. Other Alexes can take care of you. We tried all of the things."

These words meant nothing to Alex. He couldn't feel joy, because it had been too long since he had felt it, he didn't know what joy was anymore. Even getting what he wanted was useless to him. What was the point of going back, if they left him alone in his room again? As long as he stayed with the other human, he'd be okay. He was safe with Alien Alex around. That's all that mattered. He didn't allow Alien Alex to leave when they entered his room. He needed the other human, without him, he couldn't function. He was connected to him by the dark strings of necessity.

He was his puppet.


	12. Chapter 12

He's stopped eating once more. And, the thing is, he's not even sure why. He just knows that he doesn't want to anymore. It doesn't matter how nicely Alien Alex asks him. He doesn't open his mouth.

He knows he's getting weaker. He can feel it. That doesn't stop him, though. He lays silently on his bed; sometimes Alien Alex lays with him, sometimes he's alone. He's not sure which is worse.

"Alexander?" Alien Alex asks, concerned, "You do the sleep?"

He doesn't do the sleep. He doesn't even know who Alexander is. Is that him? He can't remember. Should that bother him? It doesn't. Nothing bothers him anymore. He likes to watch the shadows drift across the white walls of his room. He thinks he could be a shadow, if he tried hard enough. He thinks he already is one.

"You be home soon." Alien Alex informed him, hoping to see some kind of reaction. "With other Alexes."

He wonders what's the importance of an 'Alexes'. He doesn't ask.

The day Alien Alex tries to shave his messy beard, he hardly reacts. Even as he man-handled into the bathroom. Even as Alien Alex shifts through his memories to figure out how to do this right. Even as the alien messes up and accidently cuts his chin. Even as blood trickled down his skin, dripping into his hands. He accepts this.

"Sorry." Alien Alex mumbled as he dabbed at the cut with a cloth.

He thinks about leaning. He's not sure if he would lean forward, or away. But he thinks about it. He doesn't do it, though.

He doesn't do anything.

* * *

Thomas started sleeping in James' room. His was currently covered in glowing white spores. Thomas didn't want to accidentally inhale one and become pregnant or something, so he usually avoided his room. As soon as they could, James and he went to the Captain to explain what had happened.

He was  _not_  happy.

As the Captain stood over the couch, looking down at the still alien, he growled. He took off his hat and ran a hand over his scalp. "You cannot be serious."

"I think they'll be okay." James said.

"I don't." Thomas added.

The Captain turned to James, saying, "I want the men who did this sent to the worst Earth station. They do not get a trial. I want this to happen before yesterday, am I understood?"

James nodded and disappeared out of the room, following the Captain's orders. Thomas covered his mouth with his hand as he watched the alien on his couch.

"This isn't good, Tom." The Captain said quietly. "What do we do if the Fualtics return right now? What do we do if word gets out about this?"

"I don't know." Thomas sighed, "Maybe they'd understand?"

"That's wishful thinking. We can't afford that." The Captain replied. He lets out a soft huff as he leaned over the couch, "Imagine - Alexander does everything right, and we have a new galactic ally, just for it to be thrown away because of two idiots."

"Sounds about right." Thomas muttered, crossing his arms. "That would be just our luck, too: the missing alien ship shows up as soon as we've hurt their Immigrant."

The Captain let out a humorless chuckle. "Can this get any worse?"

Just then, Thomas' hologram started ringing. The man held up a finger to the Captain as he answered the call. A holographic face appeared before him, smiling excitedly, "Thomas! I'm on my way to see you! I've missed you so much!"

Thomas shot the Captain a panicked look, "Oh, my queen, that's so kind, but I simply couldn't take up your time like that."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not actually coming to see you. But while I'm there, why don't we  _catch up_?" The Queen of the Moon suggested, her lips quirking upwards.

Thomas' skin crawled as he put on a pleasant smile,"Yes, my Queen. Um, may I ask why you're coming to the Enterprise?"

"Oh, I've called an emergency meeting. We  _must_  settle this Immigrant thing once and for all!" The Queen paused as a servant spoke to her from out of sight. She nodded and then turned back to Thomas, "We'll be there in, oh, ten minutes. I can't wait to see you, my little puppet!"

The hologram snapped shut and Thomas let out a loud groan. The Captain watched him, his eye twitching. He spoke once Thomas quieted, "I'm not overly fond of that woman."

"You and me both." Thomas grumbled. He took a deep breath, "Okay, so, discussing Alexander with my Queen. We're doing this."

The Captain looked down at his own hologram, poking a few buttons on the screen quickly. He sighed, "Not just the Queen, it seems. No one tells me anything."

Thomas leaned over the Captain's shoulder to see the list of messages about the impromptu meeting. He felt queasy suddenly.

* * *

Alex walked down the empty halls of the Enterprise, his new uniform in hand. Anxious excitement buzzed throughout his body as he dreamed of his upcoming adventure. Honestly, he couldn't believe his luck. He was chosen to be the Immigrant! And he left tomorrow morning! This was going to be the best thing to ever happen to Alex, he swore it.

A hand grabbed his arm suddenly. Alex was so lost in thought, he didn't notice the other man approach him. Alex let out a small, startled gasp, "Thomas?"

"...Can we talk?" The man asked quietly. He couldn't meet Alex's eyes as he gestured towards an empty office room. Alex glanced down the hall, unsure. He had to meet John and Herc in his room. Finally, he relented, nodding. Thomas relaxed slightly, and led him into the conference room.

They didn't bother turning on the lights. Alex leaned against the large table in the middle of the room, setting his uniform down next to him. Thomas was still stood by the door, running his hands through his hair.

"If we can make this quick," Alex said, as kind as he could, "I have somewhere to be."

Thomas turned around slowly, "I don't think you should go tomorrow."

Alex groaned, "We've  _had_  this conversation already. I leave in the morning, Thomas. I don't-"

"I'm third in line for the throne!" Thomas interrupted quickly. His voice was too loud in the silent room, and Alex felt a small jolt shoot through him.

"...What?"

"I-I'm third in line for the Moonie throne. I'm, like, the queen's adopted son, servant, footstool, or something. It's complicated. But, I'm third in line. And Martha - my queen - isn't doing too well. She's told me that she's gotten sick, and, and that just means that I'm closer to being king, so…" Thomas' fingers scratched uselessly at clear nails, "So, when I'm king… I can grant you access, without any of this Immigrant mess."

The surprise slowly drifted off Alex's face as he scoffed, "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't need your hand-outs, Thomas."

"And how many times do  _I_  have to tell  _you_ , it's not a fucking hand-out, Alex!" Thomas took a moment to rub his temples, taking deep breaths. Once he calmed down, he approached Alex. The Earthling hesitated, but allowed himself to be touched as Thomas ran his hands up and down his arms. Thomas' voice was soft as he pressed their foreheads together, "If you want to be on the Moon, then I want you there, too. I don't care how you get there, but I want to help."

"Then help me by letting me be the Immigrant." Alex replied. "Just… understand that this is something I have to do on my own. My mom… I know I can do this by myself. And I'm tired of you thinking that I can't."

Thomas' hands came up to cup Alex's face, his thumbs brushing over pale cheeks, "Alex, I don't think you can't do it. I just… I don't like this. It's too dangerous. I'd rather have you here, by my side, where I know you're safe. And…" Thomas' voice grew even quiet as he confessed, "And I'll  _miss_  you."

Alex sighed, one of his hands coming up to press against Thomas', "I know. I'll miss you, too."

"It'll be hard to chase after alien ass." Thomas agreed quietly.

"That's not why." Alex tilted his head to catch Thomas' gaze, "You know what's not why."

A shiver ran down Thomas' spine and his cheeks grew dark. He wasn't implying what he thought he was implying, was he? The two stared into each other's eyes, searching, and when Alex gave him a small, shy smile, Thomas couldn't help but return the sentiment. A surprised laugh bubbled up from his chest. Alex happily leaned up, pressing their lips together.

Thomas immediately leaned into Alex's embrace, sighing against his lips. Alex grinned as Thomas' strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer. Thomas had a way of making him feel surrounded with warmth; safe and complete. Alex felt a swell of affection for the other man as they made out in that empty room like horny teenagers.

"Spend the night with me?" Thomas whispered against Alex's lips, "Please, I'll make it worth it."

"I…" Alex pulled away slightly, he closed his eyes and bit his lip, "I can't. My friends - it would be weird if I didn't spend my last night with John and Herc. They're waiting for me, I'm so sorry..."

Thomas cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice even, "No, yeah. That's fine. I get it."

Alex pressed one last quick kiss to Thomas' lips. "Thank you for understanding. I…"

Thomas felt his heart stutter in his chest with hope as he quietly prompted, "Yeah?"

Alex hesitated, and finally settled on, "I'll see you when I get back."

It wasn't what Thomas was hoping for, but he'd settle for it. He nodded and stepped aside, so Alex could leave. Thomas' hands were clenched into tight fists at his side, so he wouldn't do something stupid, like reach out for Alex.

"Bye, Thomas."

The door slid shut after Alex, leaving Thomas alone in the dark, empty room.

"...Bye, puppet…"

* * *

The very same meeting room was filled with politicians of all classes as an immediate emergency meeting was called. The Captain allowed Jefferson to be there, but no one else. He didn't need word getting around about what was discussed in this room.

The Earthian Council had well-over a hundred members, but only ten were chosen to come to the Enterprise to speak. The Martian President brought their security guards, who stood in the corner, watching everything silently. And the Queen of the Moon had her servants around her.

Silence fell across the room as the Captain and Jefferson walked in. It was only broken when the Queen stood and approached Thomas with open arms. "Oh, darling, how have you been? My feet have been cold, without you to sit by them!"

"Nonsense," Thomas allowed himself to be hugged by the woman, smiling politely, "I see you've already replaced me."

"They're not nearly as fun as you, though." The Queen sighed, she lowered her voice saying, "And not nearly as flexible."

The Captain did a good job hiding his disgust, if not for the tightness of his jaw. Thomas, used to his Queen's nature, waved her off easily, "They'll learn."

The Queen laughed loudly, but it quickly turned into a harsh cough. Her servants were by her side in a moment, gently pulling her back to her seat at the table. Thomas silently encouraged her to step closer to the grave.

"Can we make this quick, please?" The Captain said, addressing the room at large, "We all have better things to be doing."

"Wait, where's the alien?" An Earthing Council member asked, glancing around the room, "We wanted to speak with it."

Thomas answered easily, "They're not available at the moment. You'll have to do without."

"What the hell could it be busy doing?!" Another Councilman asked, "Taxes?! Tell it to get over here!"

The Captain raised his hand placatingly, "We are not here to discuss Gilbert. We're here to discuss Alexander Hamilton. Now, if we may, we have a decision to make. Do we or don't we tell the general public about the situation involving the Immigrant?"

The Martian president spoke up, "I vote yes! It is a crime to withhold any kind of information on Mars. The people deserve to know!"

A Council Member snorted, "Yeah, well, not everyone can be held to the same moral standards as the Martians, so I vote no!"

"Under what grounds?" The Queen asked curiously.

"If the people know what has happened to this man, it will start a mass panic. I cannot allow this to reach the public." The member said clearly.

The Queen shook her head, "But what happens if this man is never recovered? Or he is brought back dead? It would be a total blindside. As far as the people know, there is no problem. Hamilton is a hero of the human race. If the situation worsens, the people will riot."

"I agree." The president said, "I have not lied to my people once, and I don't intend to start now."

"No, listen, if we just let this whole thing pass by without alerting the press, everyone will forget about it." A Congresswoman said.

The president scoffed, "Forget about the first meeting with aliens? Unlikely."

"What if we make it sound like some publicity stunt? To raise money for the Enterprise. We faked the whole thing! No one went anywhere! Aliens who?"

"That actually might work."

"No it wouldn't, dumbass."

"I say we tell everyone. This Hamilton fella is dead, let them mourn and then get over it."

Thomas flinched at that. People started raising their voices, shouting over each other, standing up, pushing one another. Guards and servants tried to intervene, but it was useless. Thomas could feel the walls of the room moving closer together, pushing in on them.

"Hey, calm down now!"

"You cheated your election!"

"Martha's a child molester!"

"How dare you!?"

"We should tell the public!"

"About Martha?"

"About Hamilton!"

"Keep it a secret! No one needs to know!"

"That's  _lying_  Harold!"

"It's been almost a month! It's time to take action!"

Thomas put his hands over his ears, his panic swelling in his chest as the Captain started shouting as well, trying to get everyone to stop. This was no way to run a meeting. Thomas wanted to jump out the window and float away into the abyss of space.

Before he could, though, Angelica, who is in charge of the ship if both Washington and Jefferson are unavailable, burst into the room. Her chest was heaving as she sucked in a breath and shouted over the chaos, "SIR!"

The Captain turned in surprise, not expecting the sudden interruption, "What is it?!"

"The Fualtics have returned."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	13. Chapter 13

All of Alexander's friends were in the docking bay when Thomas sprinted into the room. They turned to look at him, before quickly averting their gazes back to the Fualtic ship that was sitting past the wall of glass. The oxygen was being added into the room, and everyone was on edge as they waited.

Thomas' heart was in his ears as he panted, "What- why did they just suddenly come back?"

"We have no idea." Peggy said, Eliza in her arms.

"They just showed up." James mumbled, "Right where Gilbert said they'd be."

John and Herc hadn't said a word, too focused on the scene before them. Behind them, everyone from the meeting ran in after them; Thomas had left them in the dust with his need to get to the docking bay.

Angelica and the Captain appeared by his side, while the rest of humanity's governments stayed by the back wall. The Captain took off his hat and wrung it in his hands, muttering, "C'mon, son, c'mon…"

The air was mixed and safe for humans to breathe, so the operators opened the doors into the docking bay. Thomas ran through as soon as he could, stopping only when he was in front of the alien ship. For a moment, nothing happened. They all stood, waiting, with bated breath, for Alexander to walk out.

The ship's white door disappeared, and a figure walked out. Thomas almost bit his tongue, his eyes watering.

It was Alexander. His hair was down, and he looked a bit thin, but he was alive and back. Thomas couldn't take his eyes off the other man, who was looking around curiously.

"Why is he naked?" John asked quietly.

"They really did probe him." Herc replied, sounding surprised.

Thomas ignored them as Alex approached. He looked Thomas up and down, and then smiled. Thomas felt his knees go weak. He'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. Thomas shakily stepped forward, his arms wide. He engulfed the smaller man in a tight embrace, his entire body shaking with effort.

"Gods bless, gods bless." He whispered as he tried hard not to cry, "You're back, gods bless."

Alex didn't hug him back, and Thomas pulled away, his hands still on his shoulders. He swallowed hard and stared into Alex's eyes, "What's wrong?"

Alex tilted his head, and squinted at him. Before he could react, a new voice said from behind them, "That's not Alexander Hamilton."

Thomas turned to see his own face watching him from the door.

"Gilbert?!" James asked, surprised. "You're alive?!"

"Yes. Your room is incredibly messy now. Slightly uninhabitable. I wouldn't return to it." Gilbert said as they pushed past the leaders of the world's until they were standing beside Thomas. "And, that's not your lover."

Thomas' throat ran dry, "Wh-what do you mean?"

Alexander spoke next, "It the truth."

Thomas' gaze snapped from Alex's face, down to his chest, where a small, circular device sat. "You're a Fualtic."

"Correct."

Gilbert and Alien Alex stared at each other for a long moment, neither speaking. Thomas glanced over his shoulder to the rest of the humans, who were looking more and more anxious as the time passed.

"Then if you ain't Alex, where is he?" Thomas asked, turning back to the alien.

Gilbert jolted suddenly, snapping out of their trance. They shot Thomas a sympathetic look, "It's not good."

Thomas' heart stopped as Gilbert and Alien Alex turned to the ship at the same time, their movements in sync. Behind them, through the whiteness of the ship, there was a thin, scraggly man with wild eyes. He sat on the floor, his legs close to his body. A Fualtic stood next to him, but whenever it tried to get close, the man would snarl and slash at it.

"Alexander!" Alien Alex called. The man didn't react, instead, he scratched at his head and eyed the Fualtic next to him. Alien Alex frowned and tried again, "Puppet!"

_That_  got his attention. His head whipped around to see the crowd watching him. Thomas' eyes were wide as he stared at the alien, who kept  _repeating_  that  _word_.

"Come here, Puppet. This way. Good Puppet!"

He moved slowly, his eyes darting around the room warily. Thomas' hand clamped over his mouth as tears filled his eyes. The man moved as if he wasn't sure how to walk normally. Half the time, he was oddly crawling across the floor, while the other half he was in a strange half-croutch. It would've been funny, if it wasn't so pathetic.

He stumbled into Alien Alex, who patiently helped the other man stand. Thomas was shaking his head, the man before him looked nothing like his Alexander. He couldn't even look the others in the eye. He just clung to Alien Alex uselessly.

"He like me." Alien Alex explained, "No one else."

Gilbert reached out for the man, but they got the same reaction that the other Fualtics did. Hissed and scratched. Gilbert grumbled, shaking their hand a bit. The creature that was once Alex ducked behind Alien Alex and carefully watched them from relative safety.

"A-Alex?" Thomas said, his voice scratchy. The man didn't look at him. He swallowed hard and said in the most controlled voice he could muster, "Puppet!"

Dark eyes flicked towards him with interest.

"What are you doing?" Thomas asked, trying to sound strong, "This is no way to act!"

"It's better than his previous actions." Gilbert informed him quietly, "At least now he's moving."

A spike of fear shot through Thomas' spine. He knelt down so he was face-to-face with the man, who was curled up by Alien Alex's feet. Thomas slowly reached out his hand, his voice pained, "Oh, Puppet… What did they do to you?"

The man jerked back from the approaching hand. Thomas held his hand in place, waiting for him to get used to it. The Immigrant glanced between Thomas' chin and his hand, before he slowly leaned forward and sniffed at his fingers. When Thomas' fingers twitched, the man hissed and bit him. Thomas yelped and pulled his hand back, his fingers throbbing.

"No Puppet!" Alien Alex chided, "No do the food!"

The man just hid further behind Alien Alex's legs, scowling. Thomas clutched his hand to his chest and looked to Gilbert, "What do we do?"

Gilbert scratched their neck, thinking. They turned back to the Captain, who was watching with a bewildered expression. Thomas followed their gaze, surprised to see the crowd of people behind them. He had forgotten they were there.

"Alexander cannot give consent. Captain, will you allow me to borrow his body for the time being?" Gilbert asked.

The Captain hesitated, but nodded silently. Thomas took a step back as Gilbert turned white, their body shifting and morphing, until they solidified once more. Thomas almost wanted to groan when yet  _another_  Alexander looked up at him. This one was thankfully clothed.

Gilbert, in Alex's voice, said, "Hopefully this works."

Gilbert knelt down at Alien Alex's feet. They tapped the Immigrant's forehead until he turned to look at them. For a second, the Immigrant didn't do anything. Then, he looked up at Alien Alex, then over to Gilbert. Again. Alien Alex, Gilbert, Alien Alex, Gilbert. Finally, he stretched his arms out for Gilbert, making a small whining noise.

"Unbelievable." Someone whispered from the crowd.

Gilbert gathered the Immigrant in their arms, standing up easily. The creature tucked his face between Gilbert's neck and shoulder. He made an adorable pleased noise. Gilbert and Alien Alex shared another long look. Suddenly, Gilbert growled, "I must stay!"

Alien Alex shook his head, "Research."

"I don't wanna go!" Gilbert replied.

"Learning."

Gilbert sighed and held out one of their hands. Thomas blinked in surprise as a little ball of white goo formed in their fist. It was about the size of a softball. It wiggled and squirmed, even as Gilbert shoved it into Alien Alex's bare chest.

"That one knows what I know. It has all the research you need!" Gilbert growled, their arm returning to rub circles on the Immigrant's back. "Now, I'm staying and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

The alien watched them with a blank face, before looking down at the miniature Fualtic in his hands. Finally, he shrugged and said, "Yeah, okay."

Gilbert almost looked upset by that answer, "That's it?"

"Got what wanted." Alien Alex said, raising the little Fualtic blob a bit. He waved and walked back to the ship, "No need you."

Gilbert stared, their mouth slightly agape as the other Fualtic disappeared into the ship, the door sliding closed with finality. They laughed bitterly, turning to the rest of the crew, "I told you. They wouldn't care what happens to me."

Unfortunately for Gilbert, everyone was a bit more focused on the Immigrant in their arms. Suddenly, there were concerned friends surrounding them, instructing them, pulling them out of the docking bay.

"Get him to the infirmary!"

"Alex, honey, can you hear me?"

"Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods!"

"Gilbert, you're going to have to stay as Alexander for a while."  
"He's so thin, my queen, he's so fucking  _thin_!"

"I want all of our best medics on his ass right now!"

Thomas was frozen in place, even as Gilbert was ushered away from him, with his love in their arms. James approached him, not following the crowd as they disappeared through the halls. He took Thomas' injured hand in his own gently.

"You okay?"

Thomas shrugged, his emotions running far too fast for him to even register them. "I… I don't know."

"He's back." James said quietly.

Thomas swallowed hard, "Is he?"

* * *

Gilbert is the only one allowed in the medical room with the Immigrant as the doctors try to figure out how to help him. Even the Captain wasn't allowed in the room. A small crowd was sitting outside the door, waiting for access inside. Occasionally, they can hear a hiss, followed by a sharp yelp from inside. The Immigrant appeared to be putting up a fight.

"I don't think I can do this anymore." The Captain spoke quietly. He sounded incredibly tired.

Peggy was the one who asked, "Do what? Wait?"

"Be in charge of the Enterprise." The Captain clarified. "It's… after this, it's a bit too much for this old man to handle. I'd like to go home now."

"Sir, you can't!" John said from his spot in Herc's lap. "Who- who will run the ship?"

"Thomas Jefferson is next in line. He is plenty capable to fill my space." The Captain said, shrugging.

James shook his head, "No. He, uh, he might need a break after this as well."

Eliza nudged James and asked, "Where is Thomas anyway?"

"My room. He didn't want to see anyone right now." James replied.

The Captain said, "Then what about yourself? Madison, you're a very bright man."

James paused for a minute, his expression strained, "...Do I have to? Why not have someone else take charge when you're gone."

"Who would you recommend?" The Captain asked, raising an eyebrow.

James thought for a second before looking over to the Schuyler Sisters, "Angelica, how do you feel about positions of power?"

Angelica pursed her lips, "How much power?"

"You'd be on the same level of importance as the queen, president, and members of the council." The Captain informed her. "You'd be a representative of humanity. That kind of thing."

Angelica grinned, nodding curtly, "That may be enough to satisfy me."

The two shook hands, unofficially making it official. The Captain seemed a bit more relaxed as he leaned back against the wall. He sighed when there was a loud crash coming from inside the medical room.

* * *

Thomas was sitting on James' bed, his head in his hands. The lights were off, since James thought he was asleep right now. He had only just stopped crying a few minutes ago. It hurt to blink, and he kept hiccuping. In his lap was Alexander's hologram. Thomas had already spent hours delving into Alex's notes, his videos, and recordings. He searched through every page of the reports, trying to find some kind of answer as to how this could have happened.

Alexander was a diligent man. He would write endlessly, but he also talked like he was paid to do so. Thomas couldn't stop himself from pushing the play button to the first voice recording; he  _needed_  to hear Alex's voice.

"This is Alexander Hamilton of Earth Station 17, Region 89, reporting on the first day of the Immigrant Program." Alex's sweet voice filtered through the room clearly. Thomas closed his eyes and imagined the other man sitting next to him, excitedly telling him of all his adventures. "Being here, on this alien ship, it's - it's fascinating. Trying to interview the Fualtics is like a challenge! They only understand half of the things I say, so getting the answer I want is a struggle. My mind is racing trying to figure out the right way to phrase things, so they understand. It's, it's kinda fun! I like it here a lot."

Thomas listened to each and every recording.

"The Fualtic's ability to go through mitosis is really cool. I've never seen something like this before. They're able to just completely cut a piece of themself off and that piece grows sentience. It's amazing…"

"When they sleep they go in these little holes in the wall and they just -  _become_  a part of the wall! And then they can move around the ship and it's so cool! These things are just incredibly complex and I love it! Slight side note: I just informed an alien that he had a 'lovely hole', and, gods, if John and Herc heard that, they'd be laughing their asses off right now."

"Hot wateeeeeeeeeer!"

"Okay, haha, I totally just remembered that I haven't eaten in awhile. I've just been so wrapped up in this exciting adventure that I forgot all about eating. It's a good thing I'm an Earthling, am I right?"

"...Some, um, something happened. And… and I don't know how to react to it? Because, like… It was  _bad_ , wasn't it? I can't even describe what I just saw. It's… it's  _weird_. These creatures… they're their own currency and… and I don't think I like that?"

"I can't eat any of this. I just. I can't do it…"

"Alright so things have gone from bad to badder, haha… Um. So. I don't know if it's just because I haven't been sleeping a lot, or maybe because -  _shut up_ , I'm talking! … I'm… I'm hearing things. And, and seeing them. And… I just… I don't know what's happening to me…"

"... I ….."

"..."

Thomas tensed slightly as the next one started, and a slightly altered version of Alex's voice spoke first.

"Puppet? What that?"

"..."

"Your human translator?"

"..."

"It record voice."

"..."

"Shh, no do the cry, Puppet. I take care of you."

There was a distinct moan, and Thomas decided that was a good place to stop. His body felt cold as the room fell silent once more. Even with all of the evidence Alexander left behind, Thomas still has no idea how this could have happened. How could such a strong, brave man turn into the creature returned to him? And, more importantly, how do they fix it?

* * *

"Well, once Mr. Hamilton gets better, let him know that he'll be allowed onto the moon." The Queen said enthusiastically. She paused, and then added, "But  _only_  if he gets better. He still has to pass the mental stability and intelligence tests, of course. We can't have feral monsters like  _him_  just wandering around our streets, can we?"

The Captain nodded begrudgingly, almost pushing the woman into her ship. "Yes, yes, I'll let him know. Thank you, your majesty."

As the door shut behind her, all the diplomats were headed off to their respective planets. The Captain didn't have to babysit anymore politicians. He sighed in relief as he stepped back out of the docking bay. Angelica and Hercules were waiting there for him, their expressions dark.

"The more she talks," Hercules said, "The less I want to visit the Moon."

"It's not  _that_  bad. We have to give up some … liberties to live the way we do, but…" Angelica looked away, shrugging. "It's not the worst. It could be better."

"I thought the moon was supposed to be paradise." Herc commented.

Angelica shook her head, "Oh honey, paradise doesn't exist."

The Captain spoke up then, rubbing his shoulders tiredly, "She does bring up a good point, though."

"She does?" The two asked in surprise.

"Where will Alexander live?" The Captain continued as if they hadn't spoken. "He has no family on Earth. The Moon will not take him until he is healthy. He can't stay here."

Herc spoke immediately, "John and I already discussed this. We wanna take him in."

"Can you?" The Captain raised an eyebrow. "With his current condition, I'm not sure if he can even live in a normal household."

"That's why we want to take Gilbert with us." Herc continued, "Alex clearly prefers people that look like him. Gil is the only one who can do that. John and I can take care of Alex, while teaching Gilbert how to function in society."

Angelica was nodding along, "It's probably the best option we have."

"I'd have to get Gilbert access to Mars." The Captain muttered to himself.

Hercules grinned, shaking his head, "Nah. Thomas Jefferson can go wherever he wants."

* * *

The medical evac ship that takes Herc, John, Gilbert, and an unconscious Alex to Mars is fast. They get to the planet in just under a day. Alex stays knocked out through the entire trip, thanks to the doctor's drugs.

"That's Martian medicine doing wonders right there." John nudged Gil, "When he comes to, he'll be high as a kite."

Gilbert nodded slowly, clearly only barely understanding John's meaning. They had shifted back into Thomas' body, so they could easily sneak into Mars. Going through the security checks was tedious, but there wasn't any issues. They only had an awkward patch when one of the guards recognized Alex's name.

"Oh? Hamilton? That's the guy that was abducted, right?"

Herc shrugged, "Not exactly, but, yeah."

"That's super cool. Is he awake? Could I see him?"

Herc shook his head, "No, he's got intergalactic jetlag. But, uh, we'll tell him you were excited to meet him."

"Yeah, yeah! Go on through, man. I can't want to tell my wife about this."

Herc and John's home was not large for Mars. But it was bigger than was commonly offered on both Earth and the Moon. But they only had one spare bedroom.

"I could sleep in your room." John suggested to Herc. "That way both Alex and Gil can have their own rooms."

"Actually." Gilbert said, "I think it would be beneficial for Alexander for me to share a room with him. Until he is used to seeing other faces than just his own."

Herc nodded, "That's probably a good idea."

So the three men manhandled a sleeping Alexander into the spare bedroom. The bed was large, with a thick quilt, to fight off the cold of Martian nights. Alex looked so small in the middle of it. But he curled up under the blanket and let out a happy sigh.

"I'm sorry." Gilbert said suddenly as they all watched Alex sleep.

"For what?" Herc asked.

"For my people, and how they ruined your friend." Gilbert looked up to them with sad eyes, "It was not their intention, I swear. My kind is just…. Horribly stupid."

John waved it off, "No, it's … it's fine. I mean, it's not fine. But, we don't blame you or anything."

Gilbert was quiet, their expression still upset. Herc placed a hand on their shoulder, "I'm sorry that our kind beat the shit out of you for no reason. They're just… horribly racist."

Gilbert gave him a small smile, "It's okay. It's what I get for being the Immigrant. Comes with the job."

"How many times have you done this?" John asked.

Gilbert frowned, "Too many to count. There have been hundreds, thousands of different species. But none as addictive or complex as humanity. For some reason, I just want to stay in this form. Forever."

"Do it." Herc grinned, "Welcome to the human race."

"Thank you." Gilbert's cheeks grew a bit pink as they smiled shyly at the two men. "That means a lot."

There was a small whimpering noise from the bed. The three men turned to look at Alex, who's head just barely poked out from under the covers. He blinked slowly, his eyes taking their time rising and falling. He squinted in obvious confusion, but it took him a long time to look over to the other people in the room. He stared at them, his eyes glassy and unfocused. But he didn't spit or scowl or scream. He was far too high to decide that they were dangerous.

"Hey, Alex." Herc said quietly, reaching forward to brush stray strands of hair out of his face. "We're gonna take care of you, okay?"

"You're on Mars now, Al." John added, his hand landing on Alex's thigh over the covers. "You're living the life."

"I'm here, too." Gilbert commented, waving.

Alex tilted his head so Herc's hand was in his hair. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep, with Herc's fingers lightly scratching his scalp.

* * *

The next time he woke up was not nearly as pleasant. John, Herc, and Gil were all in the kitchen. John and Herc were trying to explain to Gilbert what the Martian political season was like, since Thomas (and Alex) never experienced it.

Their lovely conversation was interrupted by a loud  _CRASH_  and a yelp.

"Alex is awake." John commented, taking a sip of his tea.

Gilbert shifted into Alexander's form as they walked across the home. When they reached the door to the spare room, they looked back over their shoulder to see John and Herc watching them.

"Here goes nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!


	14. Chapter 14

The former Captain called John and Herc whenever he could. Even when he was no longer overwatching the Enterprise, he was still an incredibly busy man. Eliza and Peggy call once a week, and then relay any new information to Angelica, who is busy with her new position to actually spare a moment for a call. Thomas never called once.

He tried. Dear gods, he tried. He stared at his holographic device, his fingers twitching, trying to get up the nerve to call. If he just talked to  _someone_ , it didn't matter who, as long as  _someone_  told him what was happening, maybe he'd feel better. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

He should've done more, he should've been better, he should've, he should've, he should've-

"Thomas."

Thomas closed his eyes, biting his lip until he tasted blood.

"Thomas, hey, hey…" James was kneeling in front of him, his eyes wide, "What are you doing now?"

He couldn't reply. Just like how he couldn't save Alex.

"How long have you been sitting in the dark?" James asked. He had long ago given James a key, for emergencies, and the man must have decided this counted as one. "Thomas, please, take deep breaths with me."

Thomas could barely hear the other man. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he dropped the hologram, his hands shaking too violently to function. James took his hands in his own, his thumbs brushing his knuckles gently.

"Thomas, you have to tell me what's wrong. What's going on?" James asked quietly, watching as Thomas' face screwed up more and more. Finally, the dam broke, and Thomas crumbled. His shoulders shook as he fell forward, into James' arms. His wails echoed in his empty flat, his nails digging tightly into James' clothing. His lungs failed to function, almost as if the manufactured oxygen in his home had been ripped out into the dark abyss outside. James supportively rubbed his back, "Shh, let it all out, it's okay, shh, shh…"

"I-I-I-I-"

"Shh, shh"

"I couldn't, I couldn't stop him, I couldn't save him, I couldn't-"

"Thomas, that's not true! This wasn't your fault!"

He couldn't believe that. Because he couldn't stop the man he loved from going on a suicide mission. And he couldn't even call to see if he was okay.

* * *

Awake - where is?

Don't know - not safe!

He jumps off the fluffy spot onto the hard, cold floor. The fluffy spot grabs his ankle, ruining his escape. He crashes ungracefully, screeching in shock. He lands on his shoulder, and he winces in pain. He stays low, scouring the area for danger.

Alone? Alone.

The wall opens suddenly. Not alone!

He scrambles under the fluffy spot, into the small, dark space. He stays quiet, watching the room around him. The wall closes again. Two bare feet stand still. No move. Wait. No move. Wait. Wait.

He creeps forward, in the dark spot, looking at the bare feet. They shift under his gaze.

Suddenly - face!

He crawls backward, back to safety, back to darkness.

Not safe! Not safe! Not safe!

"Nawu, swaknsier? Whncie ankls iuwntixn lknwiu." The face makes noise. "Nwius ootsniw wisniwt."

He growls: scare away, go away!

"Wuionsi, nwiquil ionqkxyui uinkwu." The face has a hand now, reaching for him. He screeches, but freezes at the next noise, "nwiul, Puppet."

* * *

It started slowly, so slowly.

To be honest, Gilbert had no idea what they were doing. But they knew enough about humans to understand that sometimes, they really just needed something to cling to. They need something to believe in. So, even if Gilbert was flat-out lying about his qualifications to help Alexander, they believed it was the right thing to do. When John and Herc looked at them with such faith, how could they tell them the truth?

Besides, it's not like they could make the situation any worse. That's the good thing about the bottom rock, they supposed.

"Shh, yes. Tis I, another human." Gilbert whispered, reaching their hand under the bed to coax the man forward. He hesitated, staring at Gilbert suspiciously. Gilbert tried to make their borrowed face appear unthreatening. "Come here, Puppet."

Alex's shoulders relaxed slightly, even as he carefully inched forward. Gilbert waited patiently until Alex's head finally peeked out from under the bed. He looked up at Gilbert's face for a tense moment. Gilbert blinked twice, unsure what Alex was waiting for. Finally, the man nodded once to himself, before settling down by Gilbert's side. He was still curled up in a very animal-like manner, but he appeared to be relaxed.

Gil rested a hand on Alex's head. The man flinched, looking back up into their face once more. He watched them as they carefully brushed back some of his stray hairs. Alex closed his eyes in acceptance, making a small whining noise.

"Have you explored your new home, Puppet Alex?" Gilbert asked, looking around the room. It was mostly empty, except for a bed in the center of the room; a dresser against one wall, a desk against another, and a full-length mirror in the corner. There wasn't a whole lot to explore for a normal human. But Alex wasn't exactly normal at the moment. He probably saw this new space as some vast, terrifying battlefield.

Alex, of course, didn't respond to them. He just sat by Gil's side, leaning against his touch. Gil watched as a small smile etched itself across Alex's face as Gil's fingers ran through his hair.

"You're on Mars, with John and Herc. They're very worried about you, Puppet Alex." Gil had decided that they were going to associate the only word Alex responded with, 'Puppet', with his actual name, in hopes that he'd start to respond to his name as well. Every time Gil said the 'P' word, Alex would glance over at them, but not do anything else.

And so the process began. For most of the time, Gil just sat with Alex in his room, talking to him about nothing. Gil was also in charge of feeding him, which wasn't too hard, since Alex apparently enjoyed being hand-fed. It was a strange sight.

Every day, Gilbert would leave Alex's room, and every day, John or Herc would ask, "How is he?"

And every day, Gilbert would reply, "He's getting better."

They weren't sure how true that was.

* * *

It was a tough day when Alex bit John. The boy kinda had it coming. He poked his head into Alex's room to see how the other man was doing. He gasped in surprise when he saw Alex  _almost_  standing, watching himself in the mirror.

Alex's head whipped around so fast, it hurt John's neck. At first, Alex froze, trying to seem invisible. But when John opened the door a bit wider, Alex must've decided it was time to fight. He growled and charged the door, John put his hand out to stop him, which became Alex's boney chew-toy.

John ripped his hand out of Alex's jaw and slammed the door behind him as he left the room. He bolted into his room and curled up in bed, trying to contain his sobs. John was still in that position when Herc and Gil returned home from shopping.

"John?" Herc called from the other room, "You home?"

"I'm going to check on Alex." Gil said.

John squeezed his eyes shut as he heard footsteps, a door opening and closing. He tried hard not to feel stupid, and tried harder not to feel jealous. Alex wouldn't bite Gilbert.

That thought process was cut off as Herc appeared in his doorway, a concerned frown on his face. "Hey, buddy. Are you okay?"

John shook his head. His eyes burned and his throat felt dry.

Herc sat down on the bed next to him, "Why are you crying?"

In response, John held up his injured hand.

"John, what happened?" Herc asked, his voice a bit more urgent.

"Alex bit me." John whimpered.

"Of course he did, he's feral." Herc replied, trying to keep his voice soft. "Why would you go into Alex's room?"

John shrugged, his eyes trained on the wall across from him, "I miss him…"

Herc deflated slightly, sighing. "Yeah. Me too."

* * *

After two and a half weeks after Alex bit John, Gilbert decided to try and move things forward a bit. They explained what they wanted to do to the boys, who shared unsure looks.

"I think with me there, in Alex's form, and with food, he will be able to see that you guys aren't a threat." Gil said, "But there should only be one other person. I think two would be too much right now."

"Okay." John said, nodding. "Okay, it's worth a shot."

Herc had his arms crossed, apprehensive. "What if he reacts badly?"

"Then we remove you guys from the room, calm him down, and try again later." Gil said with confidence they didn't really feel. "These things take time. If it doesn't work at first, then we just need to wait."

Herc ran a hand through his hair, "Alright. Um… Who do you think should do it?"

Gil paused, thinking. "I'm not actually sure. Alex prefers John, but Herc is less emotional and more rational."

Herc frowned, "Alex prefers John?"

John scowled, "Herc's rational?"

Gil continued after a moment, "I think it should be Herc. Alex might still associate John with that bite."

The two shared a look, before nodding. "Yeah, okay."

Gilbert went in first, in Alex's form. They followed their usual program, brushing Alex's hair and talking sweetly. Alex was dozing happily by their thigh when there was a knock at the door.

"Come on in." Gil instructed, keeping their hand on Alex's shoulder. Alex looked up when Herc walked in, shifting nervously. He had a bowl of grapes in his hands, and he didn't really know what to do.

Alex's gaze slowly shifted from Herc to Gil. Gil smiled and continued to brush Alex's hair soothingly. The man took this as a sign to relax, so he laid his head against Gil's thigh.

"Sit right here, in front of us." Gil instructed quietly. Alex tensed as Herc moved closer, but he didn't look ready to attack. He glared over at Herc suspiciously, shifting a bit closer to Gil.

"Hey, Alex." Herc said, chuckling awkwardly. "It's me, Hercules. I, uh, brought fruit."

Alex glanced between Herc and Gil once more. Gil took a grape from Herc's bowl and turned fully to Alex. "Puppet Alex, why don't you show Herc what we've been working on?"

Alex blinked curiously, watching Gilbert. They smiled at Herc and then sat up straight and crossed their legs. They tapped the floor in next to Alex's head and said, "Humans sit up, Puppet Alex."

Slowly, clumsily, Alex unfolded his limbs from under him and shifted until he was sitting the same as Gilbert. He straightened his shoulders and looked at Gil expectantly.

"Very good, Puppet Alex." Gil murmured, holding out the grape. Alex's lips wrapped around Gil's fingers as he took the fruit.

Herc stared, his expression some strange mixture that Gilbert didn't know well enough to describe. Finally, he said, "He's- he's not a dog."

"No." Gilbert agreed, "But this is the first steps. If he wants to be a part of humanity, first he must move and look like a human." Gilbert took another grape, and then tapped the floor once more, "And humans sit up."

Alex straightened his shoulders once more, tilting his chin up a bit. Gil chuckled and fed him another grape. Herc shook his head silently, but muttered, "If you insist."

"Trust me, this is progress." Gil said, trying to conjure that human-necessity of hope once again. Gil then stood up and raised their hand, "We're also working on how humans stand up!"

Alex was licking his lips, distracted by the taste of grapes.

"Puppet Alex!" Gilbert said, gaining his attention once more. "Humans stand up!"

Alex scowled, but put his hands on the floor in front of him and pushed up into a small crouch. He looked up at Gilbert expectantly, who shook their head. Alex huffed, grumbling nonsense as he clumsily pushed himself up into a weak standing position. He still had his head ducked, and his hands were close to his chest, but he was on his own two feet.

Gilbert gave him his grape, happily cooing, "Yes, Puppet Alex, good job!"

Alex immediately sat back down again, once he had his reward. He chewed his grape happily, closing his eyes. Gil lowered themself down next to him, still smiling. "He doesn't like to stand much. And he  _really_  doesn't like walking. But we're working on that."

Herc was silent as he nodded and watched Alex. Finally, he said, "Okay, what do you want me to do, then?"

"Well, I was really just showing you his, uh, accomplishments to get him used to you being in the room." Gil said, gently rubbing Alex's back soothingly. Alex hummed and leaned against the touch, he decided to stay sitting up instead of wallowing on the floor or crouching. Gil thinks he's expecting more grapes for his good behavior. He's right. "Now that he's basically decided you're irrelevant-"

"Gee, thanks."  
"-we're going to shift that image of you from neutral to positive." Gil said, gesturing to the bowl in Herc's hand, "You're going to feed him."

"I don't want to do that." Herc said immediately. "Gil, this is weird, seeing him like this. He's not- he's not himself and I-"

Gil interrupted, "If you want him to get used to being around other people, you have to get used to being with him."

Herc watched Alex, who was distractedly watching his own toes twitch. Finally, he sighed. "Okay. Fine. But, I don't like this."

"I know." Gil said, "That's why I'm trying to fix it."

Herc picked up a grape and said, "Hey, uh, Alex?"

Alex's hands shot down and grabbed his toes, successfully catching them on his first try. He leaned down to observe his prize. Gilbert snorted and said, "Puppet Alex."

Alex glanced over at him, still interested in his foot.

"Humans sit up." Gil said, tapping the floor. Alex groaned and sat up, shooting Gil a glare.

Herc let out a loud laugh, startling Alex. "Okay, that seemed pretty accurate to Alexander. Maybe this is helping him."

Alex's hand landed on Gilbert's thigh, and he shifted closer to the other man. Gil shushed him, quietly assuring him that nothing was wrong. Alex only relaxed when Gil gave him another grape.

Herc took a deep breath, and then said, "Hey, Puppet Alex."

Alex looked over to him, a bit surprised.

Herc didn't know what to do after that, his eyes found Gil's, who smiled encouragingly.

"Uh, I'm proud of you." Herc said as he held out the grape. Alex paused, his eyes flicking between the grape and Herc. Only Gilbert had fed him for so long, does food from other people even count as food? Herc grinned, almost like he could tell what Alex was thinking, "Trust me, it's the same grapes Gil was giving you."

Alex took another second before he inhaled the grape, his lips brushing against Herc's fingers. Herc huffed in amusement, wiping his hands off on his shirt. He picked up another grape and held it out to Alex, who didn't need any prompting this time around.

They sat there, in a little circle, watching Alex eat grapes from their hands. Alex's hand always stayed firmly planted on Gil's thigh, but the rest of his body was slowly shifting closer to Herc's. By the time they ran out of grapes, Alex was almost sitting in Herc's lap.

Gil couldn't keep the smile off their face, "I told you, he's getting better every day."

* * *

He sat on the Tall One's thigh, his eyes closed. The Same One was gone. Sometimes here, sometimes not. Tall One is new, but good. He likes the Tall One. Tall One has juicy treats.

"Winxle. Auwionvx, whionxlau." Tall One spoke. He shivered as his hair was played with. Tall One has big hands, good for scratches. "Wnious mjawio oeusln eoisnx."

Tap on face. He opened his eyes to see Tall One watching him. Oh no, did he do something wrong? Will Tall One leave? He should have been watching. He don't know unless watch. Tall One smiled, not mad?

"Wnisul sqoul, Alex." Tall One said. He tilted his head, glancing around the room. Tall One shook his head, gently pushing him off his leg. He sat on the floor, panic setting in as Tall One stood up. He quickly stumbled to his feet, but his knees gave out. He crashed to the floor, yelping at the action. Tall One stayed only long enough to make sure he had not hurt himself. Then, Tall One left through the wall.

He screamed, realizing that he was left behind, in the small room, all alone. He paced the floor, he scratched at the wall, he hid under the bed and accepted his death. He sat in front of the wall, waiting for it to open once more.

* * *

"Once he gets used to John, we can open the door and let him into the rest of the apartment." Gil explained when Alex's screaming became a bit much.

"I don't like leaving him alone like that." John said, wincing as he heard a distinct  _thump_  from the other room. "He really shouldn't be alone."

"I know, I'm going to go back in there in just a moment." Gil said, "Herc couldn't stay in there all day."

Herc nodded, "It's impractical. But we'll reintroduce him to you tomorrow, and then, if he takes it well, we can open his door and he can hang out with us in the livingroom."

John nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. "Is he getting better?"

"I think so." Gil said with a forced smile.

Herc shared with them a knowing look, but agreed quietly.

* * *

When Herc and Gil walked into the room, Alex had two quick reactions. The first was to push Herc hard and growl and spit. The second was to cry and fall into Gil's arms, shaking.

"Oh, shh, Puppet Alex, we didn't leave you alone that long." Gil said, rubbing soothing circles against Alex's back. "You're okay, you're okay."

Herc sighed and held out his hand, "I'm sorry, Alex. Do you forgive me?"

Alex looked like he wanted to bite the hand, but he decided against it. Instead, he tucked his head under the hand, demanding to be pet for his pain.

Herc chuckled and the three of them settled down on the bed. Alex sat cross-legged between Gil and Herc. His hand was resting on Gil's knee, but his focus was mostly on Herc. Herc was telling a story as Gil brushed Alex's hair. It seemed like Alex was paying close attention to the words being said, maybe even understanding them.

The trance was broken when there was a knock at the door. "Guys? Can I come in?"

Alex dropped low to the bed, his eyes trained on the door. He only glanced away as Herc placed his hand in front of Alex, blocking his path. "Yeah, come on."

There was a pause, and then the door opened slowly. John poked his head in, and watched from relative safety. Alex's grip on Gil's knee tightened. Gil only continued to brush Alex's hair, their voice soothing. "Puppet Alex, this is John. He's very nice. You're friends."

It took two minutes of this before Alex relaxed enough for John to enter the room completely, closing the door behind him. In John's hand was a plate of bite-sized sandwiches; he was gripping the plate so tightly it was shaking.

Herc patted the spot on the bed next to him, "Come sit here. Slowly."

Alex watched John as he moved closer to the bed. Alex backed away, still touching Gil's leg. He glanced between Gil and Herc, who were trying to not appear tense. John settled on the bed with Herc between himself and Alex. He brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he watched Alex intensely.

"He's-" John swallowed hard, "I don't even know what he is, but…"

Herc wrapped an arm around John, shushing him quietly, "I know, I know, shh."

"What could he even be thinking right now?" John asked.

* * *

NEW! NEW? NEW! NEW!

Not safe? Safe? New? Don't know don't know don't know don't know-

"Puppet Alex." Same said, tapping the soft space, "Humans sit up."

No, no, no, no- new! Doesn't like new! No!

"Alex." Tall One said, "wniuql xniows exniuoq winsiw."

Same held out something - food? Smells good. "Humans sit up!"

He slowly crept forward, closer to New, and sat up. Same held out the food. Tall One nodded. He carefully took the food from Same's hand into his mouth. Tastes good, very strange. Wants more!

"Wuinsk whel iqo." Tall One said, others laughed. Everyone smiles? He tries to smile too. Fit in, won't be left alone.

"Udnsio qmio, Alex!" Same said, running their hand through his hair. He smiled again, he does good?

"Alex?" New said. He glances up, unsure. Wonder: what is Alex? Why said so much? Important?

"Qsnhi mxu!" Tall One said, reaching for Same. They smile again, then turn to him. He shrinks back, unsure. What happening?

"Alex?" Same said.

He glances between the faces, what they want? He sits up straight, like how Same taught. They look at each other again, speaking gibberish. As they talk, he ducks low onto the soft space. He reaches forward and snatches another food from the pile in front of New. He quickly shoves it in his mouth and retreats back by Same.

His hand never left Same. Always touch Same. Same is safe, touch Same, he's safe.

They're all looking at him again. He chews his food and keeps an eye on New. Still don't trust.

* * *

"I've never seen him use his hands like that before." Gil said, stunned.

"He just, put the food  _in his mouth_ ," Herc said pointing at the plate, "With his  _hands_!"

John was silent as the other two expressed their surprise and praise. He shook his head minutely at the sight of his best friend. Look at what he had become. Look at where he had started. This was insane.

Alex watched him just as intently, like he didn't recognize him. John felt his throat close up as they locked gazes. Alex didn't even blink. Herc and Gil were talking to him now, trying to get him to use his hands again. John just watched and tried not to cry.

By the time John had to get up and leave, Alex was no long glaring at him like he wanted to kill him. But he also wasn't as trusting of him as he was Herc or Gil. Baby steps, he supposes. Baby steps.

* * *

They let him out of the room. John sat on the counter in the kitchenette, watching as Herc and Gil (who was wearing Alex's form) coaxed Alex into the main room. Alex sat by the door of his room, refusing to move much further. Eventually, Herc and Gil gave up and decided to just let him move at his own time. John tried hard to not watch Alex's every move as they watched TV. Alex only started to explore when he thought they were all focused on the screen before them. He stayed close to the walls, creeping around the exterior of the apartment.

After he had checked out the entirety of the building, he slowly moved inward to the couches, where everyone was sitting.

"I don't understand this 'cavity' thing. Why does it happen?" Gilbert asked, gesturing to the screen. It was some TV show about toothpaste. All commercials were banned on Mars, since they were ruled as 'lying to the public', so marketers had to make entire 15 minute long shows to promote whatever they wanted to sell. It made for some very  _strange_  television shows.

"I dunno, man." Herc replied, "Your teeth just don't work well with sweets and stuff, so they get, like, bone-infected. When I was a kid, I had to get a tooth removed because I had a huge cavity in it."

Gil grew alarmed, "Your tooth was removed?! Is it not one of humanity's natural weapons?"

John brushed the fading bite mark on his hand. Herc waved it off, "Well, I guess, but I was a kid, so it grew back."  
Gil shook his head, "No, humans cannot regrow limbs."

Herc snorted, "Right, but teeth aren't limbs. Everyone has baby teeth, that fall out and then stronger ones grow back in their place."

Gilbert stared at Herc for a long moment before finally saying, "That sounds completely fake. You're joking right now to see what the alien will fall for."

Herc didn't get to reply, because Alex chose that moment to awkwardly climb onto the couch to settle between Herc and Gil. When he realized everyone was watching him, he grew very still. Only his eyes moved as he looked over to Gil. The alien smiled and looked away, continuing their conversation with Herc.

Alex relaxed after a moment, shifting so he was sitting cross-legged. His attention was captured by the TV. John could almost pretend that things were fine. That Alex was normal and they were just friends, sharing a lazy day. But then he'd look over to Gil, who was borrowing Alex's face, and he couldn't fool himself any longer.

* * *

"Humans stand up, Alex!" Same said, standing in front of him.

He stood up, smiling when they all grinned at him. He sat back down on the floor when he wasn't given any food.

"Weqs, humans stand up!" Same repeated.

He hesitated, but slowly stood up again.

Tall One said something, gesturing to himself. He stared at him, and then went to sit down again.

"Xi! Alex!" Tall One said, he then repeated what he said previously, "wnxi qkio mxiuqp."

Tall One pointed to himself again, and Same walked over to Tall One and spoke again; gesturing to the space between them. He tried to sit down again, but got yelled at once more. Humans stand, he gets it. But what do they want from him now?

New stood up from his spot on one of the couches. He approached him carefully, then held out his hand. He hesitated, but took New's hand in his own. New smiled and took a step forward, then another. He had to take a step with him, in order to keep touching New. They continued in this slow, awkward dance forward until they were standing in front of Same and Tall One. Everyone smiled and cheered softly. Head pats. Happy? Good?

Same then moved to stand across the room, saying, "Humans wnisl nxiuw, Alex!"

He looked over to New and Tall One, who gently pushed him forward. He stood still, unsure of what he's expected to do. New took his hand again and walked over to Same. Same happily scratched his hair, then turned him around so he was facing Tall One.

Tall One gestured over to himself, saying, "qniou smwi, Alex. Humans wuios xniw!"

Humans. Alex. Strange sounds with no meaning. At least this time he was able to figure out what the hell they wanted. He took a step towards Tall One. Then another. He looked up to see everyone's expressions. Smiling. Good. Another step. Check faces. Still good. He continued this process until he was standing in front of Tall One, who pulled him into a tight embrace.

Attack!? Scared! Don't want!

Wait.

Warm. Good? Nice…

He ducked his head a bit under Tall One's chin and inhaled the scent of him. Good. Safe. Tall One is safe.

* * *

"I think he'll be okay with me in Thomas' form." Gil commented as they watched Alex alternate between picking up Cheerios and lick them up with his tongue. He liked to sit on the floor, they haven't convinced him to use the table yet. And he only liked the couch if the others would sit with him. But, overall, he was… functioning.

"I'm not sure." Herc said. "Whenever he gets scared, he runs back to you. What'll he do if he thinks you aren't there?"

John added, "Yeah, and he doesn't exactly love me yet."

Gil nodded and held up their hands, "Okay, okay. We'll wait a bit. No problem. I just don't like Alex's form as much and as soon as I can switch back to Thomas' the better."

Herc put his hands on his hips, "It's been months and you never mentioned this before?"

"It wasn't important before. Alex was important. And when he was in the room, I was able to be me - er, Thomas. But he's out here, with us, all the time, and I don't have that option anymore." Gil explained quickly. They glanced over to John, who appeared thoughtful. "I can stay as Alex as long as we need. I just, it's weird."

John leaned closer to them, interested, "You have different preferences?"

"Yeah, kinda." Gil shrugged, scratching their neck, "Which is … new."

"That's also new." Herc said, his eyes on Alex. They looked over to see Alex awkwardly scooping the dry cereal up with a fork. His hand was wrapped around the handle in a fist, and he moved his face to the utensil instead of vise versa. But he was able to get the forkful into his mouth and he chewed it quietly. He looked up and was surprised to see everyone watching him. Alex slowly lowered the fork, dropping it onto the floor.

Gil walked up to him, smiling. He knelt beside him and pressed the fork back into his hand and scratched at his hair. "That was good, Alex."

The man hummed and continued to eat once Gil left him again.

* * *

...Is Alex me?

They speak to me when say it. Am I an Alex? Thought I was a human? Human Alex? Alex Human?

Do what they do. Fit in. Be like them, and they won't leave. Use the metal stick to eat. Sit up straight. Watch the colorful screen. Be like them, be like them, be like them.

"Alex?" He looked up to see New watching him. He waited to see what New wanted. New waited to see what he would do. Oh! Good question time! He slowly held up his hand and pointed to himself. He tilted his head. New's eyes widened. New repeated, voice hushed, "Alex!"

He pointed to himself again.

"Wnsi, wnsi, Alex!" New said, pulling him into a tight embrace, similar to Tall One's. "Alex! Snwiu mxqiks wiuls!"

Maybe… maybe he is the Alex?

He could be the Alex if they stay with him.

* * *

"How is he doing?" Peggy asked. She must be the messenger for the day. She kept trying to look over Herc's holographic shoulder, as if she could see a glimpse of Alex. "Is he eating? Is he sleeping?"

"Yeah, he's doing great. He's gained fifteen pounds since being here, he doesn't look like some starving Earthling anymore." Herc said, his lips quirking upwards in a joke.  
Peggy shook her head, "That's not funny, Herc."

Herc huffed, "It would be if you had to pay for all the groceries."

Peggy put her hands on her hips, "We  _told_  you, we'd help you pay-"

"I"m kidding, Peggy. Tell everyone that he's getting better all the time and soon he'll be running around, picking fights with strangers, like the Alex we know and love." Herc said. He looked over at Alex, who was trying to sit on the counter, but couldn't quiet coordinate his legs well enough to hoist himself up. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright." Peggy sighed, "Tell Alex I said hello!"

"Will do."

He turns off his holographic device and turns to Alex. He puts his hands on his hips and says sharply, "What'd'you think you're doing, Alex?"

Alex yelps and turns around, eyes wide. He looks between Herc and the cabinet above him. Herc raises an eyebrow and walks past him to open the cabinet. "What's in here that you want?"

Alex backed away from the counter, his head bowed.

Herc opened the cabinet and glanced at its occupants. At the very top shelf there sat a box of cookies. Herc snorted and looked back to Alex. "Is that what you were trying to get?"

Alex dared to glance up at Herc, and relaxed a bit when he saw Herc's smirk. Slowly, he creeped over to stand beside Hercules.

Herc watched as Alex raised both his arms up above his head, reaching for the cookies. He couldn't reach the highest shelf, so he whined and looked over to Herc pitifully.

"Well, aren't you just precious?" Herc grinned, reaching up and pushing the cookies further back onto the shelf. Alex gasped loudly and had the audacity to look betrayed. This only made Herc laugh harder.

After a second, Alex started to hesitantly chuckle along with him.

* * *

The day Gilbert walks out of their room in Thomas' form, Alex freezes entirely. But he doesn't look scared. He looks confused. He was working on a children's puzzle, and he almost had the star completed. But now his focus was completely on the new man.

Herc and John are carefully watching from the sidelines as Alex watches Gil from across the room. At first, Gilbert doesn't look at Alex, pretends he isn't there, and just lets him get used to Gilbert being in the room.

But as Gil decided that it was time to approach Alex, the other man scrambled back on the floor, eyes wide. He then took two small steps forward, before moving back once more.

"He doesn't know what to think of you." Herc commented quietly.

John held up his hand, "Gil, take your hair down."

Gilbert followed the instruction and let their hair fall loose into wild curls. Alex made a small whining noise and moved closer to them.

"Put your hair up." John instructed.

Gil did, and Alex backed away again, eyes darting back and forth across Gil's face. He made a strangled growl and placed his head in his hands. Gil, John, and Herc shared concerned looks. Gilbert came and sat beside Alex on the floor. Their voice was lower now, more like Thomas', rather than Alex's, as they said, "Alex, shh, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Alex's head snapped up to look at them, tears forming in his eyes. He was breathing hard in short burst and his hands were shaking. Gil reached out and placed a hand on Alex's knee, "It's me, it's Gilbert. Do you understand, Puppet?"

At the sound of that word falling form those lips, Alex inhaled sharply. John and Herc thought he suddenly attacked Gil. The smaller man reached forward suddenly and pushed into the alien's space. They landed on the ground with a smack, and John and Herc rushed forward to pull the two apart. They both halted, however, when they saw that Alex wasn't ripping off Gil's face with his teeth. Instead, the man was sloppily kissing them, desperate and needy. Gil was stock-still under him, wide, scared eyes looking up at the others.

Herc pulled Alex off of Gil, who still didn't move once free. Alex kicked and squirmed until Herc was forced to let him go. Alex stared at Gil, breathing hard. He flinched suddenly and shook his head, before scrambling and running on all fours back to his room. From the open door, John could see Alex crawl under the bed.

"What the hell was that?" Gil whispered, still laying on the floor.  
John knelt beside them, "A kiss. Kinda."

"But … why?" Herc looked away from the silent room down the hall.

John shrugged, "I guess he thinks Gil's hot."

Gil shook his head, shifting through Thomas' memories. "No. That's not  _exactly_  accurate."

The children's puzzle was left on the table, forgotten. There was only one piece missing.

* * *

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I KNOW HIM!

Knew him, knew him, knew him, knew him, knew him!

Not him - knew him - can't be - who? Who?

What's happening?

Same is gone, where's Same? Can't find Same!

Same left him, Same left him, Same left him, Same left him because he wasn't good enough-

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

They can't see you in the dark place, stay in the dark place.

Who was that human? Who was he? Why does he know him?

He wanted to bite him with his lips. Strange? Never wanted before?

He called him Puppet? And it was familiar - but different familiar, new familiar?

Need name for New. Can't be New, already have a New. Who's the new New?

Familiar. Name for new New is Familiar.

* * *

"Thomas, this is absurd." James sighed, crossing his arms. "Alexander has healed, why haven't you?"

Thomas didn't respond from his spot on his bed. He stared at the wall, his mind empty, but his chest full with rocks. James sighed loudly and walked around the bed, squatting so Thomas was staring at him instead. He didn't even blink.  
"Thomas, when will you realize that this wasn't your fault?" James asked, "It's been months. The time for blaming yourself has passed. There's nothing you can do about this now, so there's no point in wallowing in it."

Thomas' fingers twitched against his pillow.

James didn't give up, "When was the last time you ate?"

Thomas' eyes darted away guiltily.

"Good lords." James grumbled, pulling up his hologram to order some Martian-style take out. "I'm not leaving until you eat everything I order. And take a shower, you smell like an Earthling."

Thomas shifted so he was on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

James closed his eyes and counted to ten. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his secret weapon. "I talked to Angelica. And we just so  _happened_  to come across the topic of Alexander."

Thomas' jaw locked noticeably.

"If you get up and do the things I asked, I'll tell you all about Alexander's wondrous progress." James said casually. He got no response, so he turned on his heel and took two steps away, "Pity. I've heard lots of great things."

He smirked when he heard the bedsheets rustle and a gravelly voice speak from behind him.

"Deal."

* * *

He doesn't try to kiss Gilbert again. And he seems unsure if he wants to even touch them. Some days, he's plastered to their side, arms wrapped around them, whimpering pathetically. Some days, he stays far away from them, and jerks away from their touch.

"I'm starting to get suspicious of Alex's relationship with Jefferson." John grumbled moodily. "I swear to Gods, if he ever  _once_  touched Alex wrong-"

Gilbert cut him off saying, "Worry not. Everything they did was completely consensual. Your friend was not abused."

"Then why is he acting like  _this_?" John asked, gesturing to the boy sitting in the corner, watching Gilbert's every move.

"I'm not fully sure." Gil admitted.

Herc sighed, "If only he could talk."

* * *

Alex sits at the table now. He sits cross legged on his chair and he sometimes uses the wrong utensil to eat. But he knows that when the others are making food, he's supposed to wait at the table and place a napkin in his lap.

The worlds have forgotten about Alexander Hamilton and the mess with the Fualtics. Mostly because a majority of the human race never got the full story. With each passing week, concerned calls happen less and less. There's not much new to report, either. Progress has strangely slowed.

They can take him outside now. He walks with them to the store and he picks out boxes of cookies that he recognizes. But if he sees another human, he always clutches Herc's arm until they leave on their merry way. He doesn't freak out with kids. He actually approaches them and watches them. Herc and John have had to pull Alex away from a child multiple times, apologizing profusely to concerned parents. Gil never understands what's so wrong with a grown man staring at a small child, but they at least don't encourage the behavior. Usually, someone has to hold Alex's hand, so he doesn't wonder off.

He's almost completely human. If not for the language barrier.

"Most of the time, I don't think he even understands what we're saying." John said, watching as Alex chased a fly around the room. He ran into the sofa and growled, shaking his head. "I keep reading to him, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything."

"I can't begin to count how many times I've sung the ABCs to him." Herc sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe he could just talk or write or something-"

John threw his hands up in the air, "He doesn't even remember how! He's not even Alex anymore! He's just some weird fucking-"

"Hey, hey! John!" Herc said, holding his hands up, "You shouldn't say something like that."

* * *

"What?! He'll get wnsjiowl  _offended_  or something?!" New was shouting.

Alex flinched and turned to look at him. He and Tall One were arguing again. Alex bit his lip and looked down at the fly he had caught.

"He doesn't even know what we're saying, Herc!" New pointed at him. Alex scowled and sunk down onto the floor. His heart felt heavy as the conversation carried on above him.

"That's not true, John!" Tall One said. "And even if it was, wnuxiol wknxi mcbo. That doesn't excuse you to wnkxu xnuwio."

"It's been a  _year_ , Herc." New said, his voice shaking. Alex glanced up at him, seeing the tears fall down his cheeks. "Mxuosi, Herc, I can't deal with this any more."

"He's my friend, too. I zniwouls him, too. But getting upset with him like this isn't helping anyone." Herc said quietly.

"That is  _not_  my friend!" John hissed, pushing Herc away. "He's a cheap imitation of Alex. He's not even qnxuolsnk wnisukdl xnai! Alex would be  _ashamed_  to be him!"

Alex tore the fly's wings off, watching the creature squirm. He let it crawl around for a moment before he smashed it with his thumb. He sighed to himself.

' _I know what you're saying.'_ He thought to himself. He wiped his dirty fingers on the carpet, looking up at John's sobbing form. ' _I just don't know how to tell you.'_

* * *

Alex stood in the shower until New - John, his name is John, he's your friend - pounded on the door, complaining about water bills. He stayed in an extra minute, because, goddamn, he doesn't understand what he's saying.

"Do you know how expensive water is, Alex?" John grumbled later as Alex poured a bowl with cereal and milk. "We're not rich, you know."

_Yeah, I know._

Alex didn't look at him as he shoved a forkful of cereal into his mouth, the milk dripping between the prongs.  
"Alex? How are we doing today?" Gilbert asked, hesitant. Alex sat at the table next to him, his bowl hitting the table a bit too loudly.

_I'm doing super fine, except for the fact that you have my almost-boyfriend's face and sometimes that's confusing as hell, how are you?_

"Humans eat cereal with spoons, Alex." Herc said as he sat a spoon down next to him and plucked the fork from his hand.

_Yeah? Well, humans also do whatever the fuck they want, have you ever investigated that?_

All three of them were staring at him now, scowling. John crossed his arms, "He's mad about something."

"Wonder what it could be." Herc mumbled.

Gil tilted their head, studying him silently.

_I'll tell you what I'm mad about! I'm mad that you people are treating me like a child! I'm not stupid! I understand what's happening! I'm fine now and none of you have figured it out yet! I'm mad that no one has spoken to me like an adult in a year! I'm mad that I remember everything that happened! I'm mad that I'm trapped in my body because I can't remember the one thing I need the most! I'm mad that Alexander Hamilton has been silenced!_

They continued to stare at him, frustrated, he shoved more cereal in his mouth.

_Also my shower was cold._

* * *

"James, I don't want to go to your stupid little convention." Thomas whined for the sixth time that hour. James ignored him and watched as their ship approached Mars. "I want to sleep and ignore my Queen."

James ignored him as the ship landed on Mars' largest convention center.

"Nothing here will interest me, I don't care about your weird Martian fetish, I just want to go home."

James ignored him as they paid for their entry and pushed their way between the crowds.

"Why the hell would you even make me dress up for something like this anyway - ew a poor person touched me!"

James ignored him as he stopped beside a large statue of one of the former Martian presidents. He had no idea who he was. Some old white guy.

"My feet hurt and it's hot here and I got sand in my hair and I don't like the air pressure and…"

James ignored him as he pulled out his holographic device and checked the time. Pleased, he turned to Thomas and said, "I need you to shut up and look over there."  
"Look over where, is this some stupid Martian game?" Thomas grumbled as he glanced in the direction pointed.

The crowd parted slightly as a voice called out, "NO! ALEX COME BACK!"

Thomas froze as the short Immigrant pushed past strangers, furious. His face was red as he glanced around the area, most likely looking for an escape route. His did a double-take, however, when his eyes locked with Thomas'.

"You knew he'd be here." Thomas said, his voice a whisper, "How did you know?"

James shrugged, "I was talking to Hercules and the topic of Alex just so  _happened_ to come up."

Thomas ignored him as his feet moved forward without his permission. They sped up as he got closer, and Alex had much of the same reaction. They met in the middle with a vicious hug that could almost be described as violent. Thomas picked Alex up off the floor as they hugged, and Alex squealed against his skin, his legs wrapping around Thomas' hips. Without thinking, Thomas pressed a kiss to the skin of Alex's neck, before he pulled away and set Alex back down on the floor.

The man somehow managed to look both amazing and horrible at the same time. His hair was a mess and his hands were shaking, but his face was full and flushed and he was breathing so intensely and his eyes were so focused and  _alive_. He looked like how he was on the Enterprise, before this Immigrant mess. He looked like the man Thomas fell in love with.

"You look like ass." Thomas said, grinning.  
Alex laughed and pushed him. Thomas waited for a verbal response, but none came.

"What's this? Fualtic got your tongue?" Thomas watched as Alex rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Oh, so your friends were able to teach you the walk, but not the talk. Figures. If you want something done right, send a Moonie to do it."

Thomas had no idea why he was rambling like this. It just felt right. It was normal for them, and Alex hadn't scowled yet, so he must be doing something right. Alex raised an eyebrow in expectation, so Thomas cleared his throat dramatically.

"Repeat after me: Thomas Jefferson has a delicious ass."

Alex laughed again and shook his head.

"Jefferson!?" A voice yelled. Thomas and Alex turned around to see John, Herc, and Gil running up to them. Alex made a gagging noise. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, whatever I want." Thomas replied. "Currently, that involves catching up with Alex."

Herc spoke up, "Oh, he doesn't, uh… He doesn't understand what you're saying."

Alex let out a deep sigh, his shoulders sinking. Thomas' lip quirked, "Uh-huh. Are y'all sure about that one?"  
"Yeah," John crossed his arms. "He never responds to anything we say."

"Maybe because you don't talk to him." Thomas replied, jutting his chin out.  
"We talk to him all the damn time!" John said, raising his voice. A few people turned to look at them. Alex tugged on Thomas' sleeve and pointed to a group of kids.

Thomas snorted, "Have you tried talking to him like he isn't a child?"

Herc glanced between Alex, Thomas, and the children. His eyes widened, "Oh my gods."

Alex shot Herc a fingergun, as his look of horror grew in intensity. John covered his mouth with his hands. "Alex, no… Why didn't you tell us?"

Alex tapped on his chin thoughtfully. It took Thomas a second to notice that the finger Alex used was his middle one. He cackled in joy at the sight of an angry, mute Alex passive aggressively flipping his friends off.

"Alex, we didn't realize- I'm so sorry!" John said in an emotional whisper. Alex rolled his eyes and pulled John into a hug, rubbing his back soothingly. He then did the same with Herc, who looked like he was trying hard not to cry.

Thomas grinned, sardonically saying, "Aw, ain't that precious." Before he could continue being a sarcastic Moonie, he remembered something. He patted his coat pockets and found what he was looking for, "I, uh - this is yours."

Alex blinked in surprise as he took his holographic device from Thomas' hand. He brushed his fingers around the metallic outside, entranced.

"You kept that on you?" John muttered.

"That's case evidence! That belongs to the Council!" Herc said, pointing at it, "How - why do you have this?"

Thomas crossed his arms and looked away, his ears turning red, "Uh, because I do what I want."

Alex caught his gaze and winked, a knowing smirk on his face.

Thomas cussed quietly and said, "Alright, look, you have my number on here. We can, um, you know." He chewed his lip and shoved his hands into his pockets, "Talk. And… get drinks."

Alex smiled shyly and nodded.

Thomas stared at him, wanting desperately to kiss him, in front of everyone. But he didn't deserve it. Not when he caused Alex's misery for the past year. So he awkwardly glanced at Alex's friends and clasped his hands together. "Right, well, uh, my friend - James, James is waiting for me. So. Mulligan. Laurens. ...Gilbert. Alexander, good to see you again."

He sped walked away, looking over his shoulder to see Alex watching him. Thomas tried not to squeal like a little girl their entire way home. James informed him that he failed.

* * *

Two weeks later, and they still call each other nightly. Both of them grew happier and healthier with each holographic conversation. Alex is somehow  _still_  a wordsmith, even without words. Thomas will look up from whatever he was doing and get distracted due to the flirty look Alex was sending him.

"This isn't fair. You have no words to stumble over!" Thomas accused.

Alex rolled his eyes and waved him off. He then pretended to cry dramatically.

"I'm not being a baby." Thomas growled.

Alex chuckled and was going to make another gesture, but Thomas was suddenly looking away from him. Alex could only hear a faint voice of someone on Thomas' end as he spoke.

"Have you eaten today?" The voice said. It sounded vaguely like James Madison.

Thomas glanced at Alex, "I'm actually in the middle of something right now. I-I'll do it later."

"Thomas, you have to eat. You deserve food."

"I-I know, I'll-"

"When's the last time you ate?"

"Look, can we not talk about this right now? I'm on the phone and-"

"Thomas, for the last time, you didn't cause Alexander's breakdown and starving yourself in no way fixes it."

"OH MY QUEEN, SHUT UP!" Thomas shouted, his face red. Alex's eyes flew wide as the information sunk in. Wait. What? Thomas wasn't eating? The Moonie was breathing hard now, his hands grasping at the air. He barely glanced at Alex before he mumbled, "Ihavetogo."

The hologram disappeared as Thomas terminated the signal. Alex sat on his bed, staring at the spot where Thomas' face used to be. He couldn't believe this. This was… This wasn't acceptable.

Alex climbed off the bed and sat at the desk against the other side of the room. He set up his hologram with various helpful videos and tutorial articles. He had so much work to do.

* * *

"Mister Jefferson," Gilbert smiled easily, their hands in their pockets, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Thomas' lips quirked up in a small semblance of a smile, "Oh, Gil. I thought we were friends."

"We are?" Gil asked, surprised. Thomas snorted and pulled the alien into a hug, "Since when?"

"Since you saved Alex's life." Thomas replied, stepping away to rub his neck awkwardly, "Probably before that, honestly."

Gilbert nodded, and then said, "Uh, so this is a friendly visit?"

"No." Thomas sighed, licking his lips. "I have an offer for you. I can make you one of the most powerful individuals in the human race. I can give you a position to learn about humanity in a vast spectrum. You'll be able to ask any question and get an answer immediately."

Gilbert crossed their arms, "Thomas, what are you suggesting."

"Switch places with me." Thomas said quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. "Become my replacement in line for the throne. I don't want to be king anymore. I don't want to be on the Moon anymore. I want …"

"You want an alien to rule the Moon?" Gilbert asked, bemused. They didn't bother asking what Thomas actually wanted in life. They could tell that much from the man's memories.

"Not an alien." Thomas said, shaking his head, "You."

Thomas got the lovely experience to see what he looks like when he cries tears of joy.

As they were making the final arrangements and saying their goodbyes, Gilbert grabbed Thomas' arm and whispered into his ear. The words brought a shiver to Thomas' skin, even as Gilbert pulled away and smiled, disappearing out some doors.

Thomas blushed darkly as the words circled in his mind on repeat.

_Alex loves you, too. He's yours, if you just ask._

* * *

Thomas kept shifting on his feet as he waited for Alexander to show up. He wasn't sure why, but the other man wanted to meet him in person. They were in a public building, so there's no way to was to have sex (probably, the Enterprise was pretty public and look at how many surfaces they managed to fuck on). The last time they spoke, James so  _rudely_  interrupted with all his caring and compassion and shit. Thomas wasn't sure if he was ready to see Alex's pitying gaze. Or worse, what if he hates him? Tells him to lose his number? Fights him?

They're meeting at one of the random coffee shops on Mars. It wasn't that big of a deal to get there this time because, well, as much as Thomas hates the stupid, sandy planet, he found himself living there. Just a block away from Alexander's room in Herc and John's apartment. Why? Well, because Thomas is stupid and he hates himself. He's pining after a guy, and if he lives closer to him, there's a more likely chance they'd run into each other (as opposed to the moon, where Alex isn't even allowed access inside). And if they run into each other all the time, clearly, the only possible outcome of this is for them to fall madly in love and get married.

It hasn't worked so far.

Thomas couldn't ponder over it anymore, because Alex was walking up to him with a determined expression. Here it goes. He's going to inform him that he hates him with just his body. Thomas flinched as Alex stopped before him, like he was expecting a punch.

"It wasn't your fault."

Thomas shook his head, his eyes somehow squeezing tighter, "Yes, it  _was!_  I couldn't convince you to stay! I wasn't good enough for you to not take the position."

"Thomas. I'm a stubborn, stupid asshole. But most of all, I'm addicted to education. Nothing you said could've kept me away from aliens."

Thomas tugged at his hair, "I could have prevented all of this!"

A hand came up to cup his jaw, "No, you couldn't have. It was out of your hands. You tried to stop me. On multiple occasions. I refused to listen. It was not. Your. Fault."

Thomas sighed and opened his eyes, "I guess you have a point, Alexander."

Alex smiled and waited for the realization to hit.

"Alexander!?" Thomas pulled away to freak out, "You just talked!?"

"What, like it's hard?" Alex snorted. "Yes, I've been practicing for days."

Thomas pressed a delighted kiss to Alex's forehead, "Oh my Queen! That's- I- Oh my Queen!"

Alex laughed, nodding, "Yup! This entire Immigrant issue is behind us!"

"You- you practiced talking for me?" Thomas asked, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

Alex smiled shyly, glancing away, "Well, someone had to tell you how wrong you are."

"I-I like you!" Thomas shouted suddenly. He immediately winced, mentally berating himself. His face was growing darker with each passing second as Alex just stared at him.

Finally, the Earthling mumbled, "What?"

Welp. It's too late to be shy.

"I like you. Um. A lot." Thomas confessed, he picked at his nails as he continued, "I may have always liked you. And when you were gone - it destroyed me. I don't ever want you to be alone like that again.  _I_  don't want to be alone like that again. I… I want to be with you, forever, by your side. But, uh, I get it if you don't… want that…"

Alex shook his head, confused, "But, Thomas, I'm poor."

"Yeah, well, I just dethroned myself and moved to the fucking eye of a sandstorm, so, you know." Thomas shrugged awkwardly, "Twinsies."

Alex's face grew red as he whispered, "Oh my gods, you're serious."

"Of course I'm serious, why wouldn't I be!?" Thomas growled.

Alex threw his hands in the air, "I don't know, probably because you're out of my league in every sense of the word! An Earthling and a  _Moonie_? It's unheard of!"

Thomas flinched, feeling physical pain at that. He hid how he was internally dying through sarcasm, "Damn, Alex, tell me how you really feel."

"I wasn't done yet." Alex said, grabbing the front of Thomas' shirt. Thomas swallowed hard, preparing for the worst. "It's only unheard of because we haven't told everyone the good news yet."

And Alex kissed him. Right in the middle of some random Martain coffee shop. Thomas' hands were shaking as he pulled Alex closer, his worlds closing in to just them. Nothing else in the universe exists in this moment. Somehow it was better than all their other kisses. It made no sense, Alex wasn't doing anything different. But this kiss was so amazing, it made all of those other hot make-outs seem like a friendly greeting. Alex's breath is hot against his lips as he pulls away, his face flushed. Thomas fought hard not to chase after those delicious lips.

Thomas was a bit dazed as he spoke, "So, you got: a new home, no job, and um, me… What're you gonna do next?"

Alex shot him a sheepish look. Thomas had a deep sense of foreboding.

"Hamilton, what are you planning now?"

* * *

It took the Council of Humanity a long time to agree to start up the Immigrant Program again. The Martian President was adamantly against it, as were some other politicians. But it was none other than Angelica Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton who stood before them to fight for the right to go back into space.

"With the Fualtic's technology, we have been able to create bigger ships, faster engines, and stronger telescopes. And we're in the progress of making translators that can connect us with any other lifeform. The universe is out there, but we can not explore it on our own. We need help of those who have already gone through this process." Angelica gave her speech with passionate vigor, "With progress there are mistakes. There can be no steps forward without a few trips. But we have not fallen. Our first encounter with alien life was not ideal, but it wasn't disastrous either. Alexander Hamilton is alive and well, and guess what?"

Alex leaned forward so his lips touched his mic, "I'm ready for more."

Angelica tried hard neither grin nor glare. "I believe we can do this again. I believe in humanity, I believe in learning, and I believe in Alexander. We just have one condition."

Alex closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "If we restart the Immigrant program." The council members were prepared for a long speech from the Earthling. Instead, they got three simple words, "Don't. Send. One."

* * *

This is how Alex found himself standing in front of another strange alien ship. This species called themselves Nirkkens. He nervously fiddled with his fancy outfit, praying that he kept this one on this time. At least the Nirkkens had a face. Two, actually. With two separate heads.

Was Alex foolish to think he could do this without breaking down again? Possibly. But he wouldn't be doing it alone.

"Ready for round two?" Thomas asked, a nervous smile on his face.

Alex's fingers slid into Thomas' own, their hands clasped together tightly. "Someone's gotta show you the ropes."

Thomas took a deep breath, glancing over to Eliza and Herc, he nodded at them and said, "Well, Immigrants, let's get this job done."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving, I finished a fic.  
> Tell me what you think!!  
> Come chill with me on [tumblr](https://esompthinfics.tumblr.com/)


End file.
